Harry and Ginny - You Save Me
by purinsesu-sereniti
Summary: A collection of any and all Hinny oneshots. AUs, angst, romance, and so much more. M for mature content.
1. Chapter 1

It had been less than a month since the war had ended.

Though, one could not quite say that it was entirely over of course. Voldemort was gone, yes that was true, but now there was another war to face. For many years, he had suffered, but he had never truly dealt with any of his feelings. When had there been time to adjust to one loss when the next one would come so soon after? Now that everything was over, he had the time to sit back and mourn... To adjust to a life without fighting and suffering. It didn't mean the world was entirely safe yet- there were still fights to be had, Harry was certain of that. But now he was fighting the hardest fight of them all: the one against himself. All of the people he'd lost, starting with his parents and going down a long line of people that included fatherly figures, mentors, and friends... All of those people had died because of him. Or for him, depending on how one looked at it. They had all put themselves on the line to protect him, to fight alongside him, to stop Voldemort. And now Voldemort was gone and so were they.

After a long while, Harry felt himself beginning to drift off when he heard it... The soft sound of a baby crying. His eyes opened and he sat up a little straighter in his bed, head swiveled towards the door, wondering for a moment if the sound was coming closer. It was. The door to his room suddenly swung open and there stood Ginny, her brown eyes blazing as she looked at him. It took him only a moment to realize in her arms she held a small baby with a shock of brown hair, though he swore for a moment it flickered purple and then back. "Ginny..." He spoke, his voice hoarse, his emerald eyes locked onto hers. She was frowning but her eyes softened and she was smiling then, shifting the baby in her arms to turn and face the boy on the bed.

There was no mistaking who the baby was, of course, he looked just like Remus after all. Harry knew he came often and though he was more than two months old now, he'd yet to even set eyes on him. For several seconds they merely stared at one another, he and Teddy, until the baby gurgled and offered him a gummy smile that eased the knot in his stomach. "You look like shit," Ginny finally said as she crossed the threshold of the room and closed the door behind her. Harry looked from the baby to her then, his brow arched in his surprise at her words. But, he couldn't blame her for saying them, they weren't a lie after all. He took in the sight of her then- she had begun to gain weight, looking healthier than she had looked in ages. She came and sat down on the edge of his bed then and held the baby out to him, not saying a word at all. He must have looked bewildered because she chuckled and slid closer to him, slipping little Teddy into his arms.

Harry said nothing as he leaned back against his pillows, shifting his elbows to prop the tiny baby up a little bit better. Teddy looked up at him with a look that told Harry he somehow knew he was a friend, even if they'd never met before. His little arm extended up into the arm, fingers grasping at the air, and it was then that Ginny's hand appeared and Teddy's tiny fingers wrapped around her index finger. "He needs you." Was all she said as she sat back, her eyes never moving from Teddy's face, which was all sunny smiles as he caught sight of her. Harry felt his heart turnover and he looked up from the baby to instead look at her, watching her as she watched the baby. There was something in that moment, something so poignant in his mind... it was as if they were hurtled into the future and this was not Teddy that they peered over together. It was another child, one with jet black hair and deep brown eyes, one that was theirs.

He looked back to Teddy then and realized just how right Ginny was. Teddy was, like he was, an orphan. He would be raised by his grandmother of course, but he had so much more family than Harry ever had growing up. Ginny was right- he needed him. He needed a family. When he looked back at her, she was smiling and he handed the baby back to her as he began to softly fuss. The moment he'd been returned to familiar arms, Teddy ceased his crying and instead a yawn escaped him. She rose wordlessly then, turning to walk across the room, and as her hand reached for the door knob she heard him speak. "Thank you..." She paused then, turning back around to face him, seeing for the first time a smile on his lips. Ginny gave one single nod and then exited the room, to where she would move down the hall to place the now sleeping baby into his crib. For a moment, she stood above him, wondering if what she'd just done truly would make the difference.

[ x x x ]

3 am.

The baby's shrill cries were loud enough to jostle her from her slumber and she pushed back her blankets, knowing she could get there before anyone else did. From across the room, Hermione mumbled something about helping, but Ginny dismissed her with a laugh and she left the room, heading up the one flight of stairs to the hall where Teddy's room was, the room that had once belonged to her older brother Percy. As she crept down the hall, carefully avoiding any creaky floorboards, but to her surprise the baby had already stopped his crying. For a moment she wondered if perhaps he'd soothed himself back to sleep, perhaps a bad dream had woken him for only a moment... But then she saw the lamp come to life from behind the slightly ajar door and she knew someone had gotten to him first.

Creeping down the hall, she pressed herself flat against the wall, before she craned her neck around, peering into the room through the crack it was open. To her surprise, it was Harry that stood in the center of the room, the baby carefully cradled in his arms; she watched as he jostled the baby up and down, softly shushing him as he patted his back. Ginny remained there in the hall, watching until Harry must have deemed the baby asleep, because he was leaning over the crib placing him carefully back down. He stood at the bedside for a moment longer before the light went out and he came towards her. Stepping back, she made a split second decision, and backed up until she reached the room that he shared with Ron, who was so conveniently not home that night.

When Harry opened the door to his bedroom, he knew at once that he was not alone. Flipping the light switch beside the doorframe, the room was flooded with light, and then he saw her sitting there on his bed. She was dressed for bed and her hair was tousled as if she'd been asleep only seconds before, as if she had been asleep in his bed and not one a floor below him. "Ginny." He murmured her name softly, turning the light back off and shutting the door behind him. "The baby...?" He asked, knowing that surely had to be what had her awake so late into the night. "He's asleep again." She was nodding, he could see it as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Walking across the room, he sat down on his bed beside her, and the bedside lamp flared to life with a touch of his wand. The lamp illuminated her, giving her a hazy golden crown atop her brilliantly colored hair, and her brown eyes were shining as she stared at him. "I have to thank you," he said after what felt like hours of silence and she then arched a brow, as if surprised by such a comment. "For what you said earlier. For what you did." Ah, that. She looked away then, shrugging her shoulders as if it didn't matter all that much. He reached out, taking her by the hand, their first contact in weeks. "You saved me."

Ginny blinked and swallowed, trying to not let her emotions get the best of her in this moment. She wasn't a crier, after all. "You saved all of us so many times, it was time someone saved you for a change." She whispered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as she peered into his emerald eyes. "And no one else had any ideas," she said, indicating that he'd been the topic of many conversations up until that point. He grinned and for a moment, it was two years ago and they were sitting beneath the old oak tree that overlooked the lake by Hogwarts. It was two years ago and they were as happy as they could be during a time of violence and war. It was two years ago and their love was only just beginning to blossom. "I'll always be here, Harry," she then said, so softly that he wondered if he'd only just imagined her words. But then he met her gaze and he knew he hadn't just imagined them.

Without a moment of hesitation, he leaned forwards and brushed his lips against hers, his free hand reaching up to slide into her hair. It was soft and slipped through his fingers like silk, the feeling comforting and familiar. It took only a moment for her to take control of the moment and she was kissing him back with a fiery passion that took his breath away. Their hands separated then and his other one snaked around her waist, drawing her closer to him until she was actually on his lap facing him. Her arms were around him too and she had yet to break their kiss, her tongue sliding tauntingly across his lower lip. Despite his body's protests, he drew back then, his hand then moving to her face, his palm cupping her cheek. "Thank you," he said softly and she grinned, though her eyes were misty. She nodded and he drew her in again, embracing her tightly, knowing there was nothing in the world that would make him let go of her again.

Until they both heard the sound of a baby crying from down the hall.

Chuckling, Ginny swung herself around and off his lap and instead stood before him as the crying intensified. She offered him a hand, which he readily accepted, and she helped him rise off the bed. Leading him from the bedroom, together they made their way down the hall and into the room where Teddy lay crying. Harry watched as Ginny stooped low over the crib and picked the crying infant up, cradling him close to her chest as she cooed softly, speaking words he could not quite make out. Harry knew then, right then and there, that someday he'd see her in this very same position, but in a different house with a different child. Someday, he would ask her to marry him and he'd take care of her as she had always taken care of him. Someday he would call her Mrs. Potter and would watch as she cradled their own children to her breast. The thought was the happiest one he had truly ever had.

For once, he could be excited for the future to come, whatever it may bring.


	2. Chapter 2

As always, he was marveled by her beauty.

His hands around her face, palm to cheek, he could not help but to stare at her; those brown eyes drew him in, her lovely lips curved in a smile that could brighten him from even the foulest of moods. There was not one single thing about her that he did not love. "I love you," he murmured as he drew her back in, his lips at her ear, his breath warm against her neck. Her pulse was a tattoo against his lips as he trailed them across the curve of her neck and down to her shoulder, his other hand toying with a lock of her long red hair. She was moving then, one hand slipping into his raven colored locks, the other rubbing the length of his inner thigh, her skin warm despite the layer of clothing between them.

"I love you too," she whispered moments later, their eyes meeting and Harry felt his heart turnover. Leaning in, their lips met and he could feel her grip on the back of his head tighten. "Help me," she said as she drew back, jumping up to her feet. Harry arched a brow but her smile was seductive as she slowly revolved on the spot, revealing to him the back of her gown. They had been at an event for the Ministry and her dress was a slim fitting black dress with twenty of the smallest buttons he'd ever seen trailing her spine. "Can you... Unbutton me?" Her voice was like silk and Harry pulled his tie away from the collar of his shirt, tossing it aside before reaching for her. Hands on her hips, he drew her closer to the bed, where he could slowly begin to unfasten each of the buttons on the back of her dress. A thought crossed his mind and he could not help but to laugh. "What?" She demanded to know, her eyes shining in the lamplight from their bedside table. "What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing... It's just, I recall a moment like this, but I was zipping you into a dress instead." She laughed as well, recalling the day of her eldest brother's wedding so many years ago. Nearly seven years had passed since that day and everything had changed... Changed for the better, for the best really. "I much prefer this." He whispered as the final button came undone and the dress slipped from her shoulders, revealing the length of her body to him as she slowly turned back around. His arms came around her and he drew her back down onto the bed, kissing her long and slow. Though he didn't want to, Harry released her, but just long enough so she could help him shed his layers of clothing until he lay naked beside her in their bed. Her hands were wandering, her fingertips trailing across his abdomen... Lower and lower until he felt her hand around him. She was smiling as he kissed her, fierce and passionate, his hands roaming every inch of her body.

As he held onto her, Harry was reminded of just how lucky he was to have this moment, to be here with her like this. His life up until a few years ago had been wracked with warfare, with suffering, with too many close calls. Had you asked him a few years ago if he'd ever be happily married to a beatiful girl, he'd have only said it'd ever be a dream. Back then, he could only live day by day, always uncertain as to what the next day would bring. Now though... Now he lived what one could only call normal- well, as normal as things could be for the still famous Harry Potter. The youngest Auror Department head in history, Harry, along with Hermione and Ron, had helped achieve long overdue changes to the Minsitry, working closely with all of the departments as well as the Minister himself. As he looked upon her face, he was reminded that there was no one more important to him in his life. "Harry..." Her voice was quiet, drawing him back to reality, and he drew her in for a soft, gentle kiss that stole her breath. "Are you just going to stare at me all night?" He chuckled and dipped his forehead against hers, inhaling her sweet, familiar scent before he pushed her down onto her back.

His mouth was on hers before she could utter another word, his tongue sweeping across her lips before it slipped between them. One of his hands propped him up over her, but the other was trailing the length of her body, his palm expertly enclosing around her breast. A moan escaped her and Harry felt a shiver race down his spine at the sound. "Look at me," he murmured, raising his head, their gazes meeting as his hand traced circles against her hip. A smile was curving on her lips when she reached up a hand, drawing him back down to her, giggling as his hand slipped further past her hips. "You're perfect," he couldn't help himself from saying, watching with enjoyment as a blush spread across her cheeks as if they were teenagers all over again. He felt a rush of fondness for this beautiful creature beneath him, a love he could not ever fully explain. But he owed her everything, he owed her his life, truthfully.

With the end of the war had brought a darkness that Harry had thought he'd never climb out of. He had been desperate for some kind of relief from the pain he finally had begun to feel- the pain of losing loved one after loved one, the pain of suffering for all those years... It was finally taking its toll on him. And honestly, Harry had not known how he was going to make it. Despite the war being over, he had never felt more lost. While everyone else had tiptoed around him, Ginny had been the one to repeatedly barge into his room and force him from his bed. She had been the one to urge him to pick up the pieces and move on with his life. She had helped him readjust to a life without war, without Voldemort. All the while dealing with her own losses: a brother and friends of her own. She had fought her own demons and won, all in order to help him.

He blinked back to reality and realized that they'd fallen into silence, he merely leaning over her, his eyes on hers though she was certain he could not see her. Sometimes... He had to remember that this was all real and he wasn't going to wake up only to find it was all just a dream. "I'm real..." She was saying softly, as if she could read his thoughts, and he nodded, laying down beside her then, drawing her close against him. She fit so perfectly against him, as if she'd been born to be there, and he drew in a deep breath. Whatever was originally going to happen between them had vanished and neither seemed to mind whatsoever. "All of this is real," she murmured as she rolled over to face him, her brown eyes shining like gems in the light from the lamp, the light casting her head all aglow. She understood him all to well.

"I know," he replied quietly, one hand cupping her cheek tenderly, his smile appearing as Ginny chuckled softly. "You're the only thing that's ever been real to me." His lips were at her ear and suddenly they were moving again, he rising over her, positioning himself between her legs as she rolled over onto her back. All his life, he'd had very few constants, but this girl... This girl before him had always been one of them.

A short while later, they lay side by side again, she tucked into the crook of his arm with the blanket drawn around her, fast asleep with her head on his chest. Harry shifted and pressed a kiss to her temple, offering up a silent thank you to the universe for allowing her to to in his life. There was nothing else in the world that could compare to the feelings he felt for Ginny, nothing else in all the world. He loved every fiber of her being, from her stubborness to her steadfast loyalty; from her beautiful brown eyes to her long red hair; from her fierce determination to her ability to see the good in any situation. From the moment he'd met her, all those years ago, he had probably known. She had always been there, in the background, but there all the same. He had always noticed her, but it had taken him a few years too many to really see her.

At least now they had all the time in the world.


	3. Chapter 3 - After The Battle

He could remember their faces.

Every last one of them, he could remember. Every face of those lost in this war, he could recall them all. They flashed before him as he walked the length of the Great Hall, whispers of voices and tears all around him as the survivors mourned their dead. The battle had been won, but the war was far from over. There was a new war taking over, one within himself, and within every other survivor in the wizarding world. Pain ran deep in many of them- they had all lost somebody, it seemed. Some of them more than others.

And so, maybe that was why Harry Potter was exiting Hogwarts, stumbling away from the school he had called home for six years. He didn't feel as if he deserved to be in that Hall with everyone else, because those dead were dead because of him. Guilt hit him like a sucker punch and he nearly doubled over with the pain of it. Everyone he had lost over the years had been because of him in one way or another. Every single loss he'd experienced had left blood on his hands. And while those still remaining would argue they had all done it of their own free will, he knew better. They may have made their own choices, but they hade made them for him. They had died fighting for him, fighting beside him, or placing themselves between him and the kill shot.

Finding his way down to his favorite tree beside the lake, he dropped onto the ground, suddenly more exhausted than he'd ever been in all his life. He leaned back against the trunk, the sun already high in the sky, its rays offering him warmth in the cool spring air. Harry sighed, his emerald eyes closing, but sleep would still yet elude him. How could he sleep, after all he had seen? His thoughts turned back to that night, when he had stood face to face with Voldemort, knowing his death was eminent. How was it that he had lived through a Killing Curse twice in his life, but all the others were gone? Why him...? Why did he deserve to keep on living, when so many others did not?

"Harry?"

The soft voice caught his attention, startling him from his own thoughts. He'd been so lost within them that he'd not even heard the approaching footsteps. Ginny stood there, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her brown eyes bright in the morning sunlight. "Ginny..." He spoke her name softly, its familiar vocals bringing him a comfort he really could not describe. Of all the people he had lost, he had to count his lucky stars that she'd not been among them. He had not seen her much since the battle had ended- he'd kept his distance when he'd seen her crying beside her brother's body. How could he face her and the others, when he was the root cause of all their pain? Turning away from her, he curled back into himself, shoulders curved with the invisible weight upon them.

She had seen him leaving of course, but had decided to give him some time on his own. He had a lot of thoughts and a lot of feelings to sort out, after all. And it wasn't going to be easy. He would need a support system to help him get through this, they all would really. And knowing Harry, he would instead push them all away as he had done a few summers back when Sirius had died. So that was why she had excused herself from her family and come to find him, knowing without a doubt where he would be. They'd spent many hours out here under this very same tree, years ago now, many wonderful hours together that she'd never forget.

Dropping down beside him, she said nothing at all, and Harry could feel the warmth of her skin as their arms brushed. Then she was turning to face him and his attention was drawn back to her face, taking in every inch of it. Only then was it that he saw the bruise on her temple, the cut on her cheek- injuries from her fighting that night. Without a word, he reached out a hand, brushing gentle fingertips over the bruise and then over the cut, relishing in the fact he could still yet touch her. "Harry..." Ginny murmured softly and he blinked back to reality, realizing only then that his cheeks were slick with tears. "It's going to be okay," she whispered as she took him into her arms, cradling him against her chest as if she meant to protect him from everything around him. "No one blames you," she went on, reading his thoughts as she always could, speaking the words he needed to hear. "We owe our lives to you."

They remained like that for what felt like an eternity, until Harry could finally lift his head from her shoulder and meet her gaze. "Thank you," he said softly and her smile was so rewarding that it brought one to his own face. Things would not be easy, not for a while he supposed, but as he looked to her and then up towards the school where he could see the others, he knew he was not alone. He did not have to face this on his own. Rising up, he offered her his hand and helped her back onto her own feet. Walking hand in hand back to the school, Harry knew despite it all, he still had a place in this world.

Ron and Hermione met them at the doors and for a long moment, the foursome locked themselves into a group embrace, not at all embarrased by the tears in their eyes. Even Ron was wiping his eyes when they pulled away, his arms still around his sister. They had all come so close to losing one another the night before- but now... Now they were safe. They were all safe.

Ginny slipped her hand into Hermione's and the other into Harry's, and one by one they all grasped hands, a human chain they formed as they walked back to the Great Hall. The four of them walked back the path Harry had taken to leave and as they walked, the survivors began to clap. They clapped for Harry, the hero that had saved them all. They clapped for the friends he had made over the years, loyal friends that had stuck with him since day one. And they clapped because they were still yet alive. Though their losses had been great, life would go on, and it was because of Harry Potter.

As he approached the Weasley clan, Harry immediately felt himself engulfed by the warm, but strong embrace of Molly, who was openly crying as she clung to him. "Thank you for keeping them safe," she whispered into his ear, speaking of her two youngest children, the two closest to him. Harry slipped his arms around the woman he could almost call mother and knew he still had a family. "Come with us Harry, come home with us." She said a moment later when she had found her composure and was holding him at arm's length. Clearly, saying no would be unacceptable, and so Harry nodded, allowing the only family he'd ever known to lead him home.


	4. Chapter 4- Final Battle Rewrite

The castle was utter chaos.

People rushed by him- students fleeing, teachers protecting, and comrades fighting. All around him were bodies, blood, and grief. But they had to keep pushing on, they had to make it through until the very end. He'd been alone for what felt like hours now, having lost his friends over an hour before. He had not seen Ginny either and his heart ached, for he had hoped to see her of all people before he made the decision to join Voldemort in the forest. Seeing her would have given him the last little bit of strength he needed to go on.

But, she was gone, lost in the sea of battle and so Harry turned, fully prepared to give up and go. It was as he turned that he caught sight of it, the ripple of red hair as she ran towards him, Neville on her heels. "Ginny!" His voice was hoarse in his throat as he drew her into his arms, embracing her as he'd never done before. Then he held her at arm's length, inspecting her, taking note of her bruised face and bloodied lip. "Neville," he caught sight of the young man then, who seemed to be bleeding heavily from a head wound of some kind. "Are you alright?"

Neville's laughter rang out, true and bold, his head thrown back. "Never better, Harry, never better! Say, have you seen Luna?" He looked left and right, as if he might see her blonde hair there in the crowd. Harry shook his head and Neville shrugged, as if it didn't matter all that much. "I'm mad for her." He grinned at the two of them and then lifted his hand in a gesture of goodbye. "And since we may all be dead by morning, I might as well tell her how I feel!" His vocals trailed off behind him as he dashed off, disappearing around a corner.

The moment he'd gone, Harry turned back to Ginny, committing to memory every inch of her beautiful face. Then she was kissing him and he kissing her back, so fiercely he swept her off her feet. Her palms cupped his cheeks as she drew back, a knowing smile on her lips, her brown eyes wild in her face. "I love you," he whispered before letting her go, slipping away from her as if he'd never even been there. Ginny was on the move the moment he'd gone, pushing past the students running from the castle, heading back inside to where she knew she was needed most.

As Harry approached the edge of the Dark Forest, his mind played back images; of his first encounters with Ron and Hermione, of the first sight of Hogwarts, of the first Weasley Christmas sweater he'd ever received. He saw flashes of his parents, of Sirius, of Remus, and even of Dumbledore. Everyone that had ever made any sort of impact upon his life. And then her image came to mind, Ginny with her sweet smile and blazing eyes. He was reminded of the way her lips felt against his, the way she looked at him when she whispered his name. As he stepped up to Voldemort and closed his eyes, it was Ginny he thought of. When he heard the Killing Curse spoken aloud, it was Ginny who's laughter filtered through his mind. And when the curse hit him, it was Ginny's eyes he saw. His last waking thought was of her and how he wished they'd only had a little more time.

[ x x x ]

Voldemort approached the castle as the moon hung high into the sky; Ginny, with Neville at her side, led the group from the ruins and into the courtyard. He led his Death Eaters, Hagrid among them, a body held in his massive arms. "Neville... Who's Hagrid carrying?" Ginny heard herself ask, her voice shaking as she took in the familiar profile of the person Hagrid carried. Deep down, she already knew, but she needed someone else to say it out loud. "Neville, who?" Her shrill vocals echoed across the yard as Voldemort came to a stop, only yards away, his snake circling his feet.

"Harry Potter is dead!" The tenor vocals boomed and behind him, the Death Eaters erupted in cheers and laughter.

Ginny felt her stomach flip, her heart breaking within her chest. "No..." She murmured, giving her head a shake as the cold realization came over her. "NO! Harry, no!" She cried out, rushing forward as if she meant to rush to his side. But she felt a hand grab her arm, preventing her from moving any further, and she realized it was her father that had grabbed her. He put his arm around her, blocking the curse Voldemort himself shot at them, his aim having been Ginny.

"Stupid girl!" Voldemort sneered, raising his hands as he turned on the spot, his glee at her sorrow evident. "Harry Potter is dead." He repeated, his tone firm as he turned back to face those who opposed him. "There is no one left to save you. Now, you shall put your faith in me!" The Death Eaters behind him cheered again, multi-colored sparks shooting into the sky as they shouted their jubilation alongside Voldemort. Ginny felt as if the breath had been knocked from her very body, her heart aching as she clung to her father, tears silently streaming down her cheeks as she gazed upon Harry's body still in Hagrid's arms. Was this it then... Was it really all over? "Those who join me now will be forgiven, but those who continue to oppose me will be punished." Voldemort continued, striding closer to their side, his snake following close behind him. His eyes sought out faces in the crowd until they came upon the young man standing beside the Weasley girl. "Ah... Neville Longbottom."

The exchange between Neville and Voldemort sparked the fire beneath them again, and even Voldemort's silencing charm could not stop their chanting of his name. Ginny raised her wand along with the others, fully prepared to fight and probably die, but they would die for what was right. In the chaos of the moment, Harry opened his eyes, rolling out of Hagrid's arms and the uproar from Voldemort was unlike anything any of them had ever heard before. Behind him, Death Eaters began to vanish from their places in his ranks, seemingly disheartened by the Boy Who Would Not Die.

She watched as Harry darted across the courtyard, ducking behind the stone remains of the castle. Voldemort shot curse after curse, wildly flinging the spells into the crowd as he aimed and missed Harry every single time. Just like that, those of the Death Eaters that remained behind, flew back into the fray, locking into battle with those on their side who still yet lived. Ginny dragged Hermione with her back into the ruined remains of the Great Hall, where they met Luna, and the three girls joined together against Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman was mad, but she was powerful. Ginny ducked one of her curses and as she came up, pushed Hermione out of the way of another. Just as she turned, the green jet of light whizzed past her, so close that she could hear its whistle as it flew past her ear. A breath caught in her throat and she staggered, blocking a second curse that came her way a moment later. Behind her she heard footsteps and it was her mother pushing past her, wand brandished, every ounce of her anger written there on her features. "Not my daughter you bitch," Molly hissed and flicked her wand, the first curse shooting out.

And then, after what could have been moments or hours, everything grew quiet.

Voldemort was gone, leaving behind him a world utterly destroyed by war. But he was gone and that meant... That meant they were safe. Ginny stood with her family, her eyes upon her mother who was crying beside Fred's body. Her remaining brothers were gathered around their fallen brother, while she stood off to the side, her eyes searching for the one face she needed to see. And then she saw him. He stood in the doorway to the Great Hall, as if he was lost, unsure where he was meant to be now.

When Harry stood on the threshold of the Great Hall, the first thing he saw was her. She was looking down at her dead brother's face, lost in the moment of grief. And then he tore his eyes away from her, to look around the room at all the loss and all of the suffering. He felt his stomach twist and felt the chill of guilt creeping into his heart and was unaware of the war that was still to come. He closed his eyes against it all, as if he meant to will it all away, but when he opened his eyes it was her that he could see. She stood in the center of aisle, her brown eyes seeking his, and he felt comforted just by the sight of her.

Approaching him with slow and steady footsteps, Ginny felt her lips curve with a smile, the return of his the best thing she'd seen all day. "It's over," she murmured to him, reaching out a hand for him to take, which he gladly did. Hers was warm as it enclosed his and the tightness in his stomach seemed to lighten. "Let's talk," her vocals brought him back to the present and he focused his hazy gaze upon her face. He nodded, realizing then that there was nothing in the world he wanted more.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning after the battle, everything was still.

Standing there on the edge of the lake with her arms at her sides, Ginny's one thought was jumping in. She stared down, her reflection a ripple on the surface, wondering if the merpeople would get her before the cold water did. A sigh escaped her lips and she reached down, slipping her hand beneath the surface, the water icy cold against her skin. Everything was different now, she knew, everything was going to be okay now that Voldemort was gone. So why did she feel so empty?

And then there it was- the jolt of pain she felt every time she thought about Fred. It still didn't feel quite real, knowing her brother was dead, knowing she would never hear him tell a joke again. She would never hear him laugh again. She would never embrace him again, never hold his children or see what his future would have held. It seemed unfair, but in the end she supposed he died for something any one of them would have died for. Even her.

"Ginny?"

The voice pulled her back and she rose back onto shaking legs, pivoting until she came face to face with him. He looked as lost as she felt, this day after the battle. "I wouldn't do it," he was speaking on, catching her off guard with his little chuckle. "It's freezing." He could recall the cold water engulfing him, years before when he had to sink to its depths for the Triwizard Tournament. Ginny fixed him with her brown-eyed gaze, her stare intense as always, the sun bouncing off her hair like a crown. He had never seen her more beautiful. Grief intensified her gaze, hardened her features, giving her a look he'd never before seen. Harry felt his heart turnover, his guilt mounting, knowing her suffering was all because of him. She had lost a brother because of this war, because of him. She had lost a friend in Tonks, a mentor in Remus. Ginny had lost people she never would have lost, if it weren't for him.

But, in that moment, something told Harry he could not think like that. For one single moment, it wasn't about him, but about this beautiful girl before him that was doing her best to keep it together. For one single moment, he could forget his own pain, his own guilt, and instead focus on hers. Without a word, he opened his arms and she fell into them, her tears soaking his shirt as she cried for those she had lost. As she cried for the loss that had almost been. She clung to him as if he were the only thing anchoring her to this world. For how long they stayed there, locked in one another's arms, Harry couldn't say. But long enough that eventually they sank to the ground, she curled up on his lap, her head resting against his shoulder.

And Harry held fast to her, reminding himself of how lucky he was to have her there to hold. She could have been any one of the people lost to him, but she wasn't, she was there and she was alive. Tomorrow the sun would rise just as it had today and they would be one step closer to a new sort of future. One he had never saw coming. With his chin resting atop her head, Harry began to talk, soft words he had never said to her before; how much he loved her, how much her loved her family. He told her everything he had ever kept locked inside of him and when he had finally finished speaking, she was asleep. Harry felt his heart skip a beat and he brushed a feathery soft kiss to her temple, inhaling the familiar scent of her perfume. And then he closed his eyes too.

Inside the ruined remains of the castle, people were beginning to panic.

It had been hours since anyone had seen either Harry or Ginny and needless to say, Molly Weasley was beside herself. And so that was why nearly everyone was looking for the two of them, some feeling more panicked than others. It was Ron and Hermione that discovered the two of them there on the bank of the lake, Harry still cradling Ginny close to him as they slept on. As Ron opened his mouth to speak, Hermione touched his arm, silencing him before he could even begin. She gave him a small nod and he blinked, looking out at the two of them, but then he sighed and nodded too. Hermione slipped her hand into his and they returned to the castle to let everyone know they were found and that they were alright.

They deserved to sleep, after all.


	6. Harry's Dream

_Harry didn't have to hear the voices to know who had arrived on his door step._

 _They came in, Sirius whooping, Remus tugging on his arm in an attempt to quiet him, while Molly glared at them from across the room. "If you wake that baby, I'll kill you," the grandmother for the third time over muttered, her gaze darkening as it fell on the jubilant duo. Tonks came in from behind, offering Molly an apologetic smile as she dragged little Teddy in through the door. "Teddy, Rose is in the kitchen eating lunch, would you like something?" Molly asked the young boy, who at four years old was already beginning to display the same traits as his mother. At once the boy sped off towards the kitchen to join Rose in her lunch, Molly and Tonks following close after him. "You can go up, but I mean it Sirius, don't wake him up!" Molly called over her shoulder as she vanished behind the kitchen door._

 _"I'll wake him up, I'm his godfather aren't I?" Sirius huffed as he and Remus turned towards the stairs, both full of anticipation at meeting the newest Potter. Neither one of them could believe that this day had even come._

 _"I don't think Ginny would be happy if you woke him up," Harry's voice met them on the stairs and all three men broke out into wide grins as they locked gazes. Sirius and Remus bounded up the stairs and embraced the young man, who now at twenty-three looked every inch like his late father. "He's only just stopped crying an hour ago." Gesturing for the two to follow after him, Harry walked the length of the hall, back down to the master bedroom where only a few hours before his first son had been born._

 _Opening the door, Harry let the two file in past him and he shut the door quietly behind him, as to not disturb the tiny sleeping bundle in Ginny's arms. He met her gaze and silently offered thanks to the universe for her, the love of his life, the one person who had kept him grounded all these years. She looked tired, but her smile was radiant as she greeted the two men that suddenly seemed shy at her bedside._

 _Remus was the first to lean over, to peer down at the sleeping infant, awestruck by the sight of him. "Sirius... It's..." He trailed off, shaking his head as if to clear his mind of something. But beside him, Sirius had adopted the same sort of look, his dark eyes wide in his ever handsome face. "He looks just like James..." Remus whispered, looking across to Harry who was grinning, his nod affirming that he was already well aware of his son's looks. "Not an ounce of Weasley, huh? Maybe next time, Ginny." The redhead gave a little chuckle and shrugged, as if it didn't matter much, but her smile was bright as she peered down into her son's face. In truth, she wouldn't have had it any other way. Besides, she already knew this little one had her eyes._

 _"Do you wanna hold him...?" Ginny was looking at Sirius, who opened his mouth wordlessly, but then nodded. From where he stood, Harry watched as Ginny slipped the tiny bundle into his own godfather's arms, the closest thing he'd ever had to a father... Inside of him, something broke, and Harry had to close his eyes against the tears. When he opened them again, it was to watch as Sirius carefully cradled the bundle to his chest, so lost in the moment that he seemed to have forgotten anyone else was there in the room._

 _"He's going to be an amazing kid," Sirius murmured aloud, reaching out with one hand to gently touch the downy soft hair upon his head. "He's amazing." Sirius finally drew his eyes away from the baby's face to turn to Harry, his eyes wide and damp, hair falling slightly into his eyes. "Tell me his name..."_

 _Harry grinned and strode across the room, to stand between his godfather and his mentor, to look both of them in the eyes as he told them the child's name. "James Sirius." He watched as both of their faces broke out into wide grins, the realization that there was to be a new James Potter on the scene slowly dawning upon them both. "I hope he can live up to such a big name." Laughter sounded on all sides and then, without warning, the child began to wail. At once Sirius was sobering, his every attempt at hushing the child failing, until he decided the best option was to hand him back to his mother._

 _The three men walked across the room, to stand in the doorway a moment, the only sound that of James' crying and Ginny's soft voice as she hushed him, and it was all any of them really needed. Harry felt arms around him and he looked from left to right, both Remus and Sirius had slipped an arm around his waist. They stood there for what felt like an eternity and then they were gone, slipping from the room with mention of lunch downstairs. Harry spared Ginny one last glance, who smiled and waved him away, her smile an imprint upon his heart. And then he turned, prepared to follow after Sirius and Remus..._

And that was when he woke.

Harry sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes, reminding himself that it had been nothing but a dream. And yet... His heart ached so fiercely, it was enough to bring tears to his eyes. He looked beside him, to where Ginny lay asleep in bed, her red hair a fan beneath her head, and knew at least she was not a dream. Rising up from his bed, he slipped from the room and made his way down the hall and into the dimly lit nursery, where inside his crib his newborn son slept.

His name was James Sirius, that much from the dream had been real. He was but days old, born only three days ago in the early morning. The child was his own twin, from the way his hair stuck up at the back of his head, to the shape of his nose. The only piece of Ginny in him was his eyes, brown and intense in gaze, even at three days old. Unable to help himself, Harry reached down and touched the feathery soft hair, recalling how Sirius had done the very same in his dream. If only it'd not been a dream... If only...

If only.

Harry sank down into the rocking chair, hands over his face as he cried softly, every wound fresh as the day that they had happened. He felt his heart breaking all over again, as he realized there would be no first meeting between his own godfather and his son. There would be no wisdom bestowed upon him by Remus nor Sirius, no old tales of his grandfather for him to grow up upon. James' had been robbed as much as he had, in truth, if not more so for he would never even meet the men that had been so important to him. Harry felt the touch of a hand and he looked up, only to find Ginny there before him. She said nothing as he leaned against her, face pressed into her abdomen, her hands threading through his messy black hair.

For how long they sat there like that, Harry didn't truly know, but it wasn't until the baby began to cry that they broke apart. Ginny moved to take James into her arms, but Harry was moving too, his sudden need to hold his son more powerful than any feeling had ever been. And Ginny must have sensed that, because she stepped aside, allowing him to reach for the child first, merely watching in silence as Harry reached into the crib and took hold of their son. Harry held him closely to his chest, relishing in the warmth of his little body against his own, reminded of how closely Sirius had held him in his dream. "They know him, Harry..." Ginny murmured softly, reaching out to brush her fingers through their baby's hair. "They know him." Harry looked down at her and he smiled, knowing she was right. Sirius and Remus weren't there in person, but they were there in spirit. Hadn't they just proved that, by visiting his dreams as they just had?

James quieted down and the baby peered up at him, his brown-eyed gaze a mirror image of his mother's. For several long moments they stared back at one another, as if silently communicating something, and Harry felt his heart swell. Ginny was right, Sirius and Remus knew their son well already. And he would know them, too.

He would make sure of it.


	7. Deathly Hallows AU

If she had known that the kiss they'd shared on the steps would have been their last one, she might have held on a bit longer. She might have stared into those emerald eyes for even one moment longer, she might have gripped his hand a little bit tighter. She would have recommitted to memory every single thing about the way it felt to have his lips upon hers, the feel of his hands in her hair... She would have listened a bit more closely to the way his voice fluctuated when he said her name and she would have pressed her ear to his chest to hear his heart beat one last time.

But now he was gone and now all she was left with was the mere memory of him.

Ginny closed her eyes against the tears welling within them and turned to face the vast expanse of the Great Hall. Gone were the House tables, replaced by the bodies of those fallen in the battle that night. Her own brother lay feet from where she stood, her family gathered around him, mourning his loss. She felt cold and unsteady, almost unaware of the world around her though on it went despite the losses of life that night. The world couldn't just stop, she reasoned to herself as she focused her eyes upon the form of her brother, still and silent upon the stone floor, looking as if he were merely asleep. The sound of her mother's sobs no longer stung her heart as they had done for the first few minutes, in fact, she felt rather numb to it.

She felt numb to everything.

Harry lay beside Fred, though she would not allow herself to look at him. She couldn't bring herself to look upon his face and know he'd never open his eyes again, that he'd never reach his hand up to brush a lock of hair from off her forehead, his lips curved into a smile. It hurt like a punch to the stomach, so deep and strong that it nearly took her breath away. That was when she staggered, a hand on the wall to keep herself upright as the world began to spin around her, faster and faster until she thought she was going to scream.

And then she felt it, the softest touch of a hand to her elbow, a soft but warm voice speaking her name as the hand guided her towards the closest chair. She faded in and out for only a moment more before regaining control and she raised her eyes to thank the person who had come to her rescue. But, there was no one there. Blinking in surprise, she glanced left and then right, certain she would see someone there, but still... There was no one. She touched her elbow with her other hand and she rubbed circles against her own skin, craving the warmth of his touch she'd known all these years. But it was gone... Just like that, Harry had come back and been her savior one last time.

[ The Next Morning ]

When she opened her eyes, for a single moment she had believed it all had just been a dream. That she would roll out of bed and downstairs he would be, already at the breakfast table with her mother fussing over him for not eating enough. It would be as it always had been, wouldn't it?

But then she remembered the truth of it all and she slid her hands over her face, pressing the pads of her fingers into her temples. Across the room, Hermione was snoring and Ginny was glad she was finally asleep, as the brunette had spent the better part of the night softly sobbing into her pillows. Hermione had tried to talk to her last night, but Ginny had feigned sleep because she just wasn't ready for that conversation yet. She wasn't ready to say the words out loud or to hear anyone else say them. Maybe part of her believed that if she avoided the conversation or the topic at all costs, then it simply wouldn't be real.

Rising from her bed, she changed quietly into jeans and a tshirt she knew belonged to Hermione, and then exited her bedroom. Avoiding the squeaky step, she stepped into the kitchen, expecting it to be empty so early in the morning, but to her surprise it was anything but empty. At the kitchen table sat George, a mug of tea gripped between his palms, still wearing the clothes he'd been wearing the day before. And that was when Ginny realized, he'd never even left the table, he had been there all night with that same mug gripped between his hands. A sinking feeling took over as she quietly approached her brother, reaching out a hand to settle upon his shoulder. George jumped at the touch and she felt a new sort of heartbreak when their eyes met. "Ginny..." He murmured as he focused his brown eyes upon her own, his grief evident. Confusion then settled upon his features as he opened his mouth only to close it again, turning away from her as he tried to find the words to say. "Didn't realize what time it was..." He mumbled as he pushed the mug of now ice cold tea away, glancing at her only when she took the seat beside his own, the one Fred usually would have sat upon.

"Have you been here all night?" She asked quietly despite already knowing the answer. When George looked up at her she could do nothing but slide her hand into place over his, feeling his grief for the loss of their brother. "You should go to bed, George." She said softly, giving his hand a squeeze. "Mum's gonna freak if she sees you down here like this." At her words, George's eyes widened slightly and then closed as he gave one, single nod. When he opened his eyes, he offered her the smallest of smiles and reached his hand out to tenderly touch her hair. He drew her closer, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head before he rose up from his chair and slipped away, leaving her alone in the silence of the kitchen.

It was only a few minutes later when she heard the footsteps above her, telling her that her mother was awake and on the move, and she supposed she should take her own advice and get out before her mother found her. Rising up from the table, she dumped George's undrunk tea into the sink and left the mug to wash itself before escaping out the side door and into the yard.

Above her, the sun was shining unusually bright for the early May morning, but it felt nice upon her exposed skin and so she didn't turn back to the house. Instead, she walked along the yard, skittering gnomes as she went, recalling the first time Harry had witnessed them. A smile came to her face as she thought back to those days so many years ago, days that had felt so much simpler than the ones they'd been living lately. She had always hoped to live more simple days with Harry when the battles were over, because she had always believed they'd end eventually. Perhaps it had been stupid of her to dream, but she had always thought that one day they'd get to live out their days together without the threat of war and death. She had believed they'd finally get to be happy.

She walked until she reached the edge of the yard where the protective spells still stood, casting their barrier around her home, despite the death of Voldemort. Not all (in fact, not many at all) of the Death Eaters had been captured so there was still the threat of them. And so the barrier would remain, at least until her parents felt safe again. She stood there on the edge for several moments before heading towards the near by willow tree, one which had stood there for her entire life. Dropping onto the ground beneath the tree, Ginny was reminded of the hours and hours she and Harry had spent together out on the Hogwarts grounds. It was only then that tears began to fill up her eyes and she found she simply could not contain them, no longer could she avoid the inevitable though she had tried with all of her might.

Drawing her knees to her chest, Ginny wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face against her kneecaps, crying harder than she'd ever cried in all her life. The sobs came so relentlessly hard that she couldn't even catch her breath. She cried for the loss of everything she and Harry could have- no, should have had. She cried for the loss of him, something she felt deep within her very soul, the pain indescribable. She cried for the unfairness of it all, for the dreams Harry would never achieve and for all the others he had left behind. It wasn't just her that was hurting from the loss of him- hadn't she just listened to Hermione cry all night long over him? Gone were the days of lounging out by the lake at Hogwarts (not that she'd ever expected him to return to school of course, but he had promised to come to visit her and Hermione) where they did anything but lounge. Never again would she feel the warmth of his skin against her own, whether it be his hand in hers or their bodies entwined beneath the sheets of her bed. There would never be another grin flashed in her direction from across the room, never again would she meet his eyes over Ron's head as he tried to wedge himself between them on the couch or at the dinner table.

There had been so many moments she thought they'd have together, never for a second had she thought it would come to this. His life had always been in danger, how many times had he almost died already? Six? Seven? More than that? But he had always managed to scrape by, to get out of any and every attempt on his life. Why did this time have to be any different? Why did he have to sacrifice himself so Voldemort could be defeated? After everything he'd gone through in his life, seventeen years of pain and suffering, had he not deserved a happy ending? And to think about a life... A life without Harry... It honestly didn't make any sense. It didn't feel right and she wasn't so sure she would ever get used to it. Nor was she certain she wanted to.

Ginny sat there beneath the willow tree for what could have been hours, honestly she wasn't even sure how much time had passed when her tears had finally begun to subside. The sun was a bit higher in the sky when she raised her head from her knees, the sound of her name being called in the distance. Over her shoulder she looked and there she saw them, Ron and Hermione coming towards her with concerned looks upon their faces. "Ginny... There you are." Hermione spoke as they approached, both coming to stand above her, the brunette's face pale with worry. "Everyone was getting worried about you." She went on, biting her lower lip as she took in the sight of Ginny's tear-stained face, though she could tell the redhead had tried to wipe away any evidence of her tears.

"C'mon, Mum is making treacle tart," Ron offered his baby sister a grin, his own heart hurting more at the sight of her there on the ground. His own pain was nothing when he looked at her, so small and broken, though she was trying hard to not let it show, and the grin he was trying so hard to give her vanished. Crouching down before her, he reached out a hand to brush the hair away from her face, wishing to find the words to say to make her feel better. He had lost a best friend in Harry, but Ginny... She'd lost her future. There was nothing that could make that better. He would always have the memories and Ginny would have to live with all the might have beens. "Gin..."

He spoke softly but it sounded like a scream. She drew back only slightly, brown eyes widening as she looked into her brother's clear blue eyes. Those eyes were so full of pain, the same sort of pain she felt, the same pain she knew everyone must have been feeling. The amount of lives affected by Harry Potter were immeasurable and she supposed all of the wizarding world felt the loss over him, whether they knew him or not. Ron stood back up and offered her his hand, Hermione at his side with a small, but encouraging smile of her own. Without another thought, Ginny put her hand into her brother's and let him help her to her feet, where they then exchanged a tight embrace. Hermione came next, enveloping her into her warm arms and holding onto her for a moment longer, needing that embrace as much as Ginny had. And then both Ron and Hermione slung a single arm around her waist, guiding her back towards the Burrow and the people who would help her along the rest of the way.

[ September 2, 1998 ]

When Ginny woke that morning, it was long before any of the other girls in her dormitory. It was as early as it would be for Quidditch, though that certainly wasn't what had her awake so early on her first day back at Hogwarts. Slipping from her sheets, she pulled on her uniform in the darkness of the room, pausing only when one of the girls murmured in her sleep across the room. Once she had fully dressed, she tiptoed from the dormitory and down the stair case into the common room, her hand trailing across every surface as she went.

Memory after memory hit her as she stood there in the common room, from late nights beside the fireplace, to the first time Harry had kissed her. Closing her eyes, she could picture it now, the memory as clear to her as it had been the night it had happened. Pivoting on the spot, she faced the table where she had watched Harry do his school work all those years, Ron and Hermione always at his side. A small smile graced her lips and then she turned back, climbing through the portrait hole and out into the hall. The Fat Lady mumbled in her sleep but did not wake as Ginny came through and so she went on her way, taking to the darkened corridors with no real destination in mind.

Everywhere she went, she could see him; in the halls as they changed classes and only had but a moment to speak... The trophy room where they talked for an hour about who his dad truly had been... The Room of Requirement where they had spent an entire afternoon that last year they'd spent at Hogwarts together. Even the Great Hall, where at every meal all she ever had to do was glance to her left and there he would have been. Like a ghost, Harry haunted her, and she could not help but to wonder if coming back here had been a bad idea. Her parents had told her that she didn't have to come back, not yet if she didn't want to, not ever too, it didn't matter to them now. But Hermione was going back and she wasn't about to let her go alone and so that was how she had found herself packing her trunk to return for her last year at Hogwarts.

As she approached the main corridor, Ginny heard footsteps and she turned, surprised to see Professor McGonagall standing there in the doorway that led towards the hall that held the Headmaster's quarters. The headmistress was entirely impossible to read, with her dark eyes piercing from behind her spectacles. She was bound for a detention for being out of bed without reason. "Professor," Ginny greeted softly as the older woman stepped all the way out into the hall, her emerald robes swishing with her movements. "I'm sorry for being out of bed, I just..." She silenced herself, knowing she was not about to unveil her hundreds of rampant thoughts to this woman. Without another word, Ginny turned to go, but that was when Professor McGonagall spoke, catching her attention.

"On your way, Miss Weasley."

Turning back to face the woman, Ginny could not help but to allow her eyes to widen in surprise. McGonagall's features had softened considerably and she gave a quick nod as she met Ginny's eyes. And then she was gone, sweeping along past her towards the kitchens where she undoubtedly would be checking in on the house elves who would have begun their morning duties by then. Ginny offered the woman a silent thanks and then went on her way, pushing out the double doors and down the stone steps. The morning air was still warm but a little crisp, a reminder that fall was soon to be on its way.

She walked as she had done within the castle, with no clear destination in mind; but her feet carried her the familiar pathway towards the lake, a place she thought she'd avoid this year. But, she found herself standing there at the edge of it, just beneath the tree she and Harry had sat beneath hundreds of times throughout their time together. Her chest tightened and she sank down upon her hunches, reaching out a hand to dip into the water. It felt strange to be there beneath that tree without him, though she'd done it often the year he'd been out hunting horcruxes. Those times had been different because she'd known he was out there somewhere... This time... He was gone.

Scooting back, Ginny pressed her back to the trunk of the tree and stared out across the lake. She sat out there, watching as the sun began its ascent into the sky, tinging it pink and then staining it yellow as it rose beyond the horizon. Before she knew it, she had missed breakfast and she knew she had to get going, before everyone came looking for her. Rising up from the ground, she brushed off the seat of her skirt and turned to face the school. For a moment, she could do nothing but stare up at the school that was like her second home, the place that had brought her everything she loved in this life. There was no way she could have not come back here, she realized then, despite the pain it caused. This school and its memories meant everything to her.

A smile twitched on her lips as she hefted her bag over her shoulder and made her way up the grassy slope towards the steps, where sure enough both Hermione and Luna already stood, on the move to search for her. "You missed breakfast," Luna said by way of greeting, before the blonde extended out a hand, offering her a muffin. Hermione came next, thrusting at her flask full of pumpkin juice. Tears filled her eyes, though these were not tears of sorrow, but tears of gratitude for the two girls standing before her. Taking what was offered to her, she linked an arm through each of theirs and together they made their way back into the castle, down the hall towards their first class of the day. As they walked, she listened to their chatter and to the voices all around her of students as they walked the halls. Harry may not have been there with her anymore, but she had other people to help her along the way.

And for the first time since that dark, dreary day in May... Ginny felt at peace.


	8. Hinny OOTP Moment

The halls were dark and quiet.

Harry sighed, his emerald eyes darkening as he approached the long hall that held Umbridge's office, tonight's detention weighing heavily on his mind. _You have to tell someone!_ Hermione's words echoed in his ears as he walked, a scowl replacing his frown, shaking his head. _It's not that easy, 'Mione_ , he grumbled to himself, knowing she would call him a martyr if she could hear his thoughts. Still... A second night of detention with this woman was the last thing he wanted to do. Running his fingers over the tender skin of his right hand, Harry flinched, knowing no matter what he did those words would forever be imprinted upon his skin.

The door ahead of him opened and Harry paused, surprised when a slim figure slipped from Umbridge's office, a mane of red hair flipping over a shoulder as haughty words escaped pale pink lips. "... You're insane," the girl was saying a moment before Harry heard the woman inside shout about another night of detention, the rest of her words cut off as the girl slammed the door in her face. "Oh, hi Harry." Ginny said with a grin when she turned to face front, her brown eyes twinkling in the lamp light of the hall. "Fancy seeing you here," she teased as she approached, again brushing her vibrant hair across a shoulder. Of course she knew he was facing detention with Umbridge, they all knew. Her expression turned somber then, those same brown eyes finding his, head tilted slightly to the side.

For a moment, fear rushed through him and his eyes dipped down to her exposed hands, searching for any sign of the bleeding wounds she would surely wear. But, to his relief (and surprise) her hands seemed uninjured. Ginny was flushed when he looked back up, hiding her hands from his view, as if shamed by this. "She tried to make me write an anti Muggle essay for her to send back to the Ministry," Ginny shook her head, recalling the horrific words that Umbridge had dictated to her to write. Of course, she hadn't written a single one of those awful words, but instead a long string of rather offensive remarks about the woman herself. "She didn't like it when I turned it in." Ginny chuckled as she finished reciting to Harry a few of the lines, his laugh making her feel warm inside.

"She'll get you back for that, you know." Harry sobered, his emerald eyes seeking out hers once again, the twinkle returning to their chocolate colored depths. "She's worse than Snape." It was hard to believe such a phrase was leaving his own lips, but it was true- even the worst of his detentions with the Potions master had not left him bleeding and scarred. "Be careful." Harry and Ginny both turned when the door to Umbridge's office opened, her familiar hem hem echoing in the hall. Ginny rolled her eyes and then raised her hand in a gesture of goodbye, her sweet scent catching him off guard as she passed him by. He turned to watch her go and then when she'd vanished around the corner, he turned back to face Umbridge, knowing what was to come.

[ x x x ]

It was Saturday morning, two nights since his encounter with Ginny outside Umbridge's office, and he'd of course been banned from the Hogsmeade trip. The Great Hall was full of the first and second years, their animated chatter filling his ears as he poked at his plate of breakfast. He only looked up when that same, sweet floral scent filled his nostrils and he heard a lively voice saying good morning. Looking up, Harry was surprised to see Ginny there, her long red hair tied back in a single braid down her back. "Ginny! I thought you went to Hogsmeade," he said, watching as a grin twitched on her lips. "Don't tell me... Umbridge?" He questioned, remembering she'd returned to that woman the night before. Ginny gave a little nod and then reached out for the goblet of pumpkin juice, revealing to him the jagged red wounds sprawled across the back of her hand. "Ginny!" Harry gasped, reaching out without thought, grasping her wrist and drawing her hand towards him. Sure enough, she'd been subjected to that bloody Black Quill. Ginny drew her hand back, turning away to again reach for her juice, shrugging her shoulders as if it didn't matter much. "I told you she'd get you!" Harry went on, watching as she silently filled her plate with food, slapping jam on her toast without even a glance his way. "Ginny!"

Turning to face him, Ginny's brown eyes met his, the look in them different than any look she'd ever given him before. "It's okay." She said simply, before taking a bite out of her toast, another shrug lifting her shoulders. "It doesn't hurt that bad." Harry knew she was lying but didn't speak on it, but rather turned back to his own plate of untouched food. "Besides..." Ginny's voice brought him back and he turned to look at her, struck by the beauty she was, and for a moment he had to wonder how he had never noticed. "It was me or a second year." Ginny's eyes darkened and she clenched that same, injured hand into a fist. "She was belittling this poor kid in the hallway yesterday for being a Muggleborn," she shook her head, turning back to finally face him. "I couldn't listen to her say another word. So I... I Cast a silencing charm." Her stoic expression vanished, replaced instead with a grin as she began to laugh, remembering the look Umbridge had worn when she realized her voice was gone.

Of course she had.

Of course she had cast a silencing charm against her own teacher. Of course she had witnessed someone smaller, someone innocent, being hurt and she had to step in. Harry had always known her to have a big heart, but this... Putting herself into real danger all to protect a kid she didn't even know? It opened his eyes a bit further as to who she truly was. And it gave him a warm feeling that he really couldn't explain. "When can you go back to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, his own lips curving with a smile as she took another bite of toast.

"Next year," she laughed, shaking her head as she drained her goblet. "You?"

"Same." He chuckled, watching her as she poured herself a second glance, refreshing his as if she had already known it needed it. "I guess we'll be seeing each other a bit more." She grinned at him, turning away a moment later, a small girl coming up from the Ravenclaw table. She turned in full, facing the brunette girl with a glowing smile, saying hello as the kid began thank her for what she'd done the day before. Harry took that moment to inspect Ginny's wounded hand, as it was now there beside him, only half listening to the words the two girls were speaking. I will not be disrespectful was written across the back of her hand, red and harsh against her milky white skin, a mirror image of his own I must not tell lies.

A moment later, Ginny was leaning in to hug the girl and then she was swinging back around to finish her breakfast. "Want to go down to the lake?" Ginny asked then, looking up at him with another one of her radiant smiles. Harry felt his heart skip a single beat and then he nodded, rising up along with her, their breakfasts left behind on their plates. Together they slipped from the hall, both laughing over something Ginny was saying, and Harry felt that same heat rushing through his whole body. He'd never spent time like this with Ginny, but something told him this was going to become a usual Saturday occurrence.

And that sounded just fine.


	9. Chapter 9

"Harry dear, maybe I could just cut it... Just a bit."

The kind, motherly voice of Molly Weasley brought a grin to the young man's face as he turned to face her, noting the slight look of distaste in her brown eyes. "That's okay, Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied as he reached a hand up to the back of his head, where at one time he'd have nervously run his fingers through his hair, but this time could do nothing but put his palm to the bun he'd secured his mop of hair into that morning. Though his mother-in-law looked like she wanted to argue the matter, she only sighed and returned to the stove, where she was overseeing the several pans as they cooked dinner for the Weasley brood staying overnight.

Slipping from the kitchen, Harry walked by Teddy and Victoire, both kids on the floor with Muggle toys spread between them. Victoire's silvery hair was a sharp contrast against Teddy's, who had been adopting a darker head of hair lately, perhaps from his constant stays at the Potter household, or at least that's what Ginny liked to say. Speaking of his wife, he wondered where she'd run off to and so his feet took him towards the stairs, climbing the still familiar steps up to the first floor landing. He recalled hundreds of moments from this home- from climbing all the way up to Ron's room for the first time or the time he and Ginny had kissed passionately on this very same landing. Or the late nights spent in the kitchen, alone in the dark, in those early days after the war had ended. Hundreds of things had transpired within the walls of the Burrow, dozens upon dozens of memories he would never let go.

Coming to stand before her door, he still could not break the habit of reaching out to knock upon it, something he'd done for years before now. Grinning in spite of himself, he took hold of the knob instead and pushed the door open, only to discover his wife standing in the center of the room, draped in nothing but a white towel. "Ever heard of knocking?" She asked as she turned to face him, a cheerful smile teetering on her lips as their eyes met. "What?" She asked in mock surprise, her eyes widening as they glanced down, as if shocked to realized she was only in a towel.

Harry shut the door behind him, remembering to turn the lock, and then took a single step towards her, the giggle she let out like music to his ears. He could not stop himself from reaching for her, his arms around her lithe body as she arched against him, her hands running up to unfasten his hair. "Your mum asked to cut it." He breathed into her ear as his hands traced the length of her, the towel the only buffer between his hands and her skin. He felt her stiffen and she was pulling back, those brown eyes narrowed and focused on his face with such a look that he could not help but to laugh.

"Don't you dare, Harry Potter." She warned, wagging a finger in his face as her other hand wandered down his own body, her fingertips brushing across his most sensitive of places. "Or else." Her lips were so close to his own that he could feel them as she spoke those two words, her other hand coming around to tangle her digits into the length of his dar hair.

"Or else... What?" He dared to ask as his hands tore the towel from her body, the breath catching in his throat as it always did when he caught sight of her. At once, she pulled away from him completely, reaching down to grab the towel he'd torn from her and held it to her chest, shielding her from his prying eyes. Inside his pants, his member gave a twitch and he silently cursed her for her bloody abilities to leave him so powerless.

"Or else you get nothing." She replied casually, shrugging her perfectly sculpted shoulders, swinging her red hair as she shashayed towards the bed, letting him catch a glimpse of her perfect ass as she went. Harry cursed again, this time aloud, and he could not stop from diving at her, throwing her onto the bed as she began to laugh. "What's wrong, afraid I'd actually do it?" Ginny was still laughing as her hands rose up to cup his cheeks between her palms, loving the prickly feel of his beard against her skin. Harry was unfastening his belt, tearing it through the loops of his jeans as her own hands were working the button, pulling him free and into her hands instead. He was moaning at her touch, head tilted back as she drew him towards her, and suddenly he was very thankful he'd remembered to lock the door.

Without another thought, he'd pushed into her, earning a gasp from her lips as she rocked her hips in time with his. Her legs were expertly winding around his waist, forcing him deeper into her and Harry leaned over her to catch her mouth with his. She was panting beneath him, nails like claws as they scraped down his back, her back arching against him as she whimpered his name. Though she held the power in their relationship- Harry wasn't too proud to admit that- he loved moments like these; when she writhed beneath him, when she cried out his name, begging him for more. "You know you could never go without this." He whispered into her ear as he ground deeper, though he didn't know how that was even possible, and he felt her teeth sink into his shoulder as she fought to keep from crying aloud. But then he pulled back, so close to pulling free from her body that she let out a frustrated moan, hands clawing at his back again. He chuckled at the sight of her, desperate for contact, her brown eyes darkening as they met his gaze. "Say it." He commanded softly as he trailed kisses from her mouth down towards her collarbone, the breath catching in her throat as he took her breast into his mouth. "Say you can't go without it." He breathed as he lifted his mouth from her for just a moment, loving the way she was looking at him through half-lidded eyes, her mouth working but no vocals coming through her soft lips.

"Harry!" She gasped his name finally, hands tangling in his loose hair as she nearly lost it with his touch. "I can't go without it," she gushed, desperate to finish, so close to the edge that she was about to scream. Harry let out a chuckle, the vibration of it against her chest as he pushed back into her, the feeling like nothing in this world. Harry felt the tightening of her muscles as she came, the grip of her legs around his waist loosening as she threw her head back, red hair a waterfall over the edge of the bed. With one last thrust, Harry felt himself empty into her and he pulled free, falling into place beside her on the bed, breathing hard as his arm outstretched over her, drawing her close to him.

When she rose up from the bed a few minutes later, it was to finally dress, though she could not help but the sway her hips just enough to get him riled up again. Her laughter rang out as she shimmied into jeans, ignoring his hands as they reached for her again. "Mum will be sending Teddy for us," she said as Harry rose up, again drawing her into his arms, holding her tight against his chest. She tilted her head back just enough to look into his emerald eyes, the feel of his breath warm against her skin as he buried his face into her neck. A moment later, as if right on cue, they both heard the scampering of footsteps up the staircase, more like a herd of elephants than a six year old boy. Harry released her the moment the door knob began to twist (again, so thankful he'd locked the door) and then Teddy's voice calling out to them through the door.

As they hastily pulled their clothes on, Ginny could not help but to laugh at Harry's red faced, awkward expression as he opened the door with a sheepish look at the kid before them. "Grandmum says it's time for dinner!" Teddy cried out with enthusiasm, his term of endearment for Molly never ceasing to melt Harry's heart. "C'mon, Harry!" He grabbed Harry by the hand and literally dragged him from the room, Ginny trailing after them, smirking to herself as she realized Harry's hair was still left unbound. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Teddy took off, rejoining Victoire at the table, both kids eagerly awaiting the dinner Molly had been preparing.

Ginny slid into place beside Harry then, leaning in close enough for just him to hear, her brown eyes sparkling with mirth. "Your hair." She then leaned back, unable to help but to laugh at him as his cheeks burned red and he reached a hand up to touch his unkempt dark locks. "Looks delicious, Mum!" Ginny grinned as her mother set the last of dishes down, the whole table ladden with so much food surely it would break. 

Molly turned to her, perhaps to thank her, but was distracted by the sight of Harry's unbound hair. At once, Harry knew what she was doing, and he shot her a look that he hoped she could read. She must have, for she kicked him beneath the table, though her face never changed its smiling expression. "Oh Harry, really, I wish you'd let me cut it..." She said, tilting her head as she inspected the mane of wild, dark hair Harry now had.

"No way Mum, he looks cool." Ginny said, echoing the words Harry had heard her say years ago about Bill's long hair, who held up his glass down the table in agreement. Molly sighed but knew it was a fight not worth fighting, and instead sat down beside Arthur, ready to begin to dish out the food. Beside her, Harry slipped his hand into place over her thigh, giving it a tender squeeze. He knew she'd done it because of the bedroom and he liked it all the more for that reason- he knew she would pay him back tenfold, but he couldn't wait.

Something told him that desert tonight would be a whole lot better than treacle tart.


	10. Chapter 10

a/n: a drabble based off art from tumblr.

if you're a hinny fan, you MUST check out blvnk-art on tumblr!

[ x x x ]

When Harry first saw her, it was from across the room.

She stood in the doorway, red hair a mess and a bruise on her face, her lip bloodied from the fight, but her eyes were blazing. Even from such a distance, he could see the smoldering look to their brown depths. It was late and they were alone- her family long since gone off to bed, perhaps in hopes that sleep would comfort their grief. Their gazes met and Harry inclined his head, suddenly thrust into a whirlwind of feelings he wasn't entirely ready to face. Leaning forwards, Harry slipped his hands into place over his face, breathing in and out, concentrating on anything but the emotions within him.

And as if she could read his mind, Ginny was approaching; he had comitted to memory the sound of her footsteps and it took only five of them for her to reach him. He felt her hands a moment later, gently prying his own away from his face, the touch of her palm forcing his watery gaze up to meet her own. Those brown eyes were dark and swollen, but the look within them took his breath away... The very same look he'd fallen in love with, the look he was so incredibly thankful to be able to see. In any moment that day, it could have been her. It could have been her or Ron or Hermione. But it hadn't been, he reminded himself for the hundredth time that night, it had been others in their places. In _his_ place.

He leaned back into the chair as she climbed into his lap, her weight warm and comforting in a moment such as this one. For a long moment there were no words shared, merely a single look between them that said everything their words could not. As always, it was Ginny there to comfort him, to take him by the hand and lead him from the brink of destruction. She was his saving grace. "Ginny... I..." He began, fighting to find the words to say. That he was sorry? That he was glad she was safe? That he felt such a deep rooted feeling of guilt that he wasn't sure he'd ever feel normal again?

But then Ginny was shaking her head, placing a single finger to his lips to silence him. It was as if she knew him to his very soul, as if every part of him was imprinted upon her, for as she always did she knew exactly what he needed. Their faces were centimeters apart, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin as she brushed her lips across his own, so softly that he couldn't have been certain she'd even done it. "Thank goodness you're here," she whispered as her hand trailed across to his cheek, his bit of stubble rough against her palm.

"No one else should have d-" Harry was cut off as her lips met his, a long kiss that would have knocked him off his feet had he not already been sitting. Dozens of new thoughts raced through his mind and he wanted nothing more than to silence them all... So many thoughts and feelings that left him lost and uncertain. And so Harry did the only logical thing right then- he kissed her back. He fought to put as much feeling into that single kiss, so much so that when they finally pulled apart, a single tear was tracing the curve of her cheek. Reaching out a hand, he tenderly swiped his thumb across her bruised skin, removing any trace of the tear that had once been. His hand slid upwards, brushing a stray lock of red hair from her face, emerald eyes meeting brown as a small smile curved on her lips.

"It's time to rest, Harry." Ginny said softly, sliding back off his lap before extending out her hand for him to take. He allowed her to help him onto his own feet before she turned, pulling him along with her towards the staircase he'd climbed hundreds of times these last six years. At the first landing they paused outside her bedrom door and Ginny gave his hand a single squeeze. "Tomorrow everything starts again, you know that right?" She spoke softly, blinking at him through the darkness. "Tomorrow we get to start over." Harry knew she was right- tomorrow would be the first day in almost four years that he would wake up without the threat of death and Voldemort looming over his head. Tomorrow would be the first day in all of his life that he would wake up as a normal guy, no longer the Boy Who Lived, no longer the Chosen One. Without Voldemort, he could finally be just Harry.

"Good night, Gin." He whispered before parting with her, climbing the stairs with her scent and warmth still wrapped around him. As he climbed into his bed in Ron's room, he couldn't help to again feel thankful that he'd not lost them all; Ron still yet snored across the room from him, Hermione still yet slept on in Ginny's room downstairs. And Ginny was still there, the only thing that had ever been real in all his life. And when he closed his eyes, again it was her he saw, with her radiant smile and big brown eyes... Those were the only things he ever wanted to see when he closed his eyes, and in truth.. Even when they were open. Harry pulled the blankets over him and for the first time in years, he felt relief. But more than that... He felt safe.

Finally, his life could truly begin.


	11. Chapter 11

The nightmares were relentless.

He could not sleep most nights because of them; flashes of faces, bright lights, and voices haunted his every dream, reminding him of all that he'd lost. Of all that he had cost. Though the war with Voldemort was over, the war within himself had barely even begun. Even now, months later, Harry had yet to find his way through this world. Why was this new, peaceful world so much harder to navigate than the old war-stricken one? Perhaps it was because he had a hard time letting go- of the pain of loss, of the guilt over the lives lost. He had lost people he loved, people he had wanted to have futures with... And those same people he had lost because of who he was. Those same people... His parents, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred... And so many more... They had died fighting for him, fighting against Voldemort. Harry would have given anything he could to bring them back, would have given anything to have at least told them that he was sorry.

"Harry?"

Snapping to attention, Harry swiveled his gaze to his friend beside him, who's clear blue eyes were full of concern. "Sorry, I wasn't listening." Harry admitted sheepishly, reaching up a hand to run through his already disheveled black hair. "What'd you say, mate?" He had been staying at the Burrow all these months since the last battle and though he'd been offered a room of his own, he continued yet to sleep in Ron's room. Part of it was habit, but most of it was fears of his own, stupid fears he just had yet to shake. And if Ron cared at all, he certainly hid it well. Instead, part of Harry knew that Ron needed him close by as much as he needed it too.

"No shit," Ron responded, reaching out to clap Harry on the shoulder, trying to offer him some form of comfort. He'd never really been good at dealing with Harry and his emotions, but he felt completely lost these days. "I said that Hermione and Ginny should be here any time." He watched as Harry's face changed, suddenly flooded with something that looked a lot like relief. "Mum and dad went to meet them at the station."

They'd not seen either of the girls in months, as they had both returned to finish out their schooling, leaving Harry and Ron behind at the Burrow. Hermione had always been adamant about her returning and Harry was happy that she could finally have what she wanted... But he missed her, as did Ron. And Ginny... He missed her more than he could put to words. He missed her voice and the warmth of her skin. He missed her sweet smelling hair and the way her brown eyes spoke more than her words ever could. The letters they exchanged never could fill her place, though they certainly helped.

And more than anything, Harry reminded himself that he was lucky he could miss her in those ways but know she would come home to him eventually. Unlike all of the others gone, he would be able to hold Ginny again, would be able to hear her softly speak his name as he ran a hand through her silky red tresses. He was lucky, he reminded himself, that the girl he loved was still yet alive and well. "Is Teddy coming?" Harry spoke of the baby that seemed to live there at the Burrow a whole lot more than at his grandmother's. Andromeda spent many afternoons with Molly, sipping tea and trying to forge a new way in this world without her family. Teddy was all the woman had left. Harry felt ashamed in her presence, and in Teddy's too; the final battle had taken Teddy's parents from him, his father the last living connection to Harry's own father. In Remus Lupin he'd had a mentor, someone else to look up to, someone else to rely on. But he was gone and so was Tonks, a friend to all, but especially to Hermione and Ginny.

"Mum said they'd be by tomorrow." Ron replied, knowing how difficult it was for Harry to face Andromeda Tonks and little Teddy. Hermione had said he would come around eventually, he had to after all... He was Teddy's godfather.

Though Harry opened his mouth to speak, they both heard the door opening several floors below them, could hear the stamping of feet as four people made every attempt to not track a foot of snow in with them. Harry felt his stomach flip and his heart skip a beat as they both got to their feet, neither one trying to rush faster than the other, both a little embarrassed by how excited they felt inside.

As they stepped off the landing into the kitchen, Harry didn't even have time to speak before he heard the shriek, before a warm body came crashing right into him. "Harry!" Hermione cried as she embraced him tightly, her scarf still half hanging from her neck, her brown hair secured beneath what he recognized as one of her own hand knit hats. As he put his own arms around her, returning the embrace to his friend, Harry caught sight of Ginny; she stood in the center of the kitchen, cloak draped over her arm as she smiled faintly, brown eyes sparkling in the lamp light. "I've missed you!" Hermione drew back, her hazel eyes damp as she took in the sight of his face.

"I've missed you too, 'Mione." Harry replied honestly, giving his friend another tender squeeze. And then she was embracing Ron, the gesture flooding his cheeks with color despite them being months into a true relationship. Turning back, he drank in the sight of Ginny there in the kitchen, her smile a little bit brighter as her parents bustled around her, Molly talking about the cups of tea she'd brew for them all. Their eyes met and for a single moment, time stood still, and when things began to move again they understood each other perfectly.

Ginny gave a single nod before she crossed the room, reaching out a hand to touch his arm, the meeting of skin like an electric charge. "I'll see you later," she breathed as she passed him by, interjecting herself between Ron and Hermione. "Come on Hermione, let's crash while the boys bring up our luggage." She chuckled at the expression that crossed Ron's face, though he didn't speak a word of complaint when he reached for Hermione's trunk. Harry followed suit, taking hold of the other side and together, one trip at a time, the two carried the girl's trunks up to the room they were once again sharing.

Once settled, Hermione immediately took to the shower, promising to save the hot water for Ginny, who chuckled at the Muggle phrase her friend had never let go of. Alone in her bedroom for the first time in ages, Ginny breathed in a deep breath, letting go as her eyes traveled the familiar four walls. Things felt different at home, she couldn't quite put a finger on it, but she knew things weren't as they used to be. War had changed their family and death had almost destroyed it... Thinking of Fred, it was still yet like a sucker punch to her gut these six months later, one that left her nearly breathless. Her bond with the twins had been different than any of her others, for they alone had always looked at her with respect. They had never treated her as typical older brothers would- they'd not sheltered her nor babied her, they had treated her as an equal. Through jokes and pranks they had bonded as early as Ginny could remember, and in truth it felt like most of her childhood was spent giggling at the torment they caused Ron.

Dropping down onto her bed, Ginny rolled over onto her stomach, clutching her pillow as closely as she could. She could only wonder when things might start to feel right again; Hermione constantly was telling her that grief had no time limit, that no length of time was wrong, but Ginny just wished things could go back as they had been. They had acquired peace and safety, surely that meant they should be happy! And Harry... He looked miserable. Though he did well at hiding it, Ginny could see the truth on his face the moment that their eyes had met. He had smiled but it had never quite reached his eyes, never once changed the expression within them. She always had worried about him but seeing him tonight had begun to make her second guess ever returning to Hogwarts.

Across the room the door opened and Hermione crossed the threshold into the bedroom, clutching a white towel around her slim frame. "Hey," Hermione said as she moved towards her trunk, wand in hand as she tapped both trunks twice, muttering an incantation. At once, both of their trunks sprung open and began to unpack themselves, which left Hermione able to sit herself on the edge of her own bed. "He's not doing well, is he?" She asked sadly, hazel eyes darkening with her worry, her grief, her every emotion coursing through her veins. Ginny sat up then, red hair falling across her shoulders as she turned to look at her friend, pausing for only a moment before nodding. Hermione sighed, her concern written all over her face, but then she swallowed and stood, grabbing a fresh set of clothes to change into. "Maybe I shouldn't go back..." Hermione spoke several moments later, when she had dressed and had instead wrapped her towel around her brunette hair. "Maybe..." She trailed off, locking eyes with the redhead who'd begun to gather her own belongings, preparing for a shower of her own. "You were already thinking that, huh?"

Ginny couldn't help but to return the smile Hermione offered her, giving a nod a second later. "I never should have gone." She said sadly, her features contorting with regret and guilt, tears misting in her eyes. "I never should have left him." Hermione was on her feet then, crossing the room to pull Ginny into a tight embrace, holding onto the girl as she sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to breakdown and cry herself. When Ginny pulled back a few minutes later, it was with tear stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, though the hand that touched Hermione's shoulder was steady. "I'm going to shower." She said without preamble, sidestepping around Hermione to escape the room, climbing up to the second landing to the bathroom.

True to her word, Hermione had left her plenty of hot water, and Ginny spent nearly thirty full minutes soaking beneath the spray. When she finally emerged from the steamy bathroom, it was only to hear her mother already calling them down for a freshly prepared dinner. From upstairs, she could hear footsteps and knew it would be the boys, so she returned to her bedroom to change, knowing full well that she would find a way to get Harry alone that night so she could talk to him. So she could tell him she was sorry for leaving him alone so soon after the war and that she would remain behind until he felt okay again. And if that meant she never returned to school, then so be it. Harry was more important to her than school ever could be. Besides, he had taken care of them all these years, it was time someone took care of him.

[ x x x ]

It was late and Harry couldn't sleep; alone in the kitchen, he decided perhaps he'd thumb through his old Qudditch, Through the Ages book and so he rose up from the table, tea left behind to turn cold in his absence. As he approached the third landing, he heard a door creak open, causing him to jump nearly a foot into the air, brandishing his wand as a light flickered on. "It's me," Ginny whispered from the doorway of Bill's old room, the light streaming out into the hall from behind her, illuminating her, the sight of her in just his t-shirt nearly enough to take his breath away. "Come on..." She reached for his hand, drawing him into the room so she could close the door behind them, both of them coming to stand in the center of the room.

"Ginny... I..." He began, but found he could not find the words to speak to her- but it didn't seem like Ginny wanted to talk much, for she was closing the gap between them, pulling him into her arms without a single word. Harry stiffened but as her arms closed around him, he could not help but to relax, could not help but to feel safe within her grasp. He slipped his own arms around her waist, their bodies pressed together, the warmth of her skin bringing him a sort of comfort that he couldn't even describe.

"Shh," she murmured, her grasp on him tightening as she buried her face into his chest, the feel of his heart beating against her cheek like a tattoo. When she pulled back a moment later, it was to look up into his face, reaching a hand up to run through his messy black hair. "Were you never gonna tell me?" She asked softly, trailing her hand down from his hair down to his cheek and then down to his shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone, you know that right?"

Harry should have known better than to think he could have fooled her- in fact, now that he thought about it, he should have known better than to think he could have fooled any one of them. Every wall he had ever put up, it suddenly was coming down around his feet, crashing down around him as he looked into her beautiful brown eyes. Every thought, every emotion, they went running through his mind like a train and he gripped her to remain steady, his heart beat racing. Ginny drew him towards the bed, pulling him down to sit beside her, though her eyes never once left his face. "I'm scared, Gin..." He trailed off shaking his head, uncertainty clouding his mind. But when he raised his eyes to hers, he knew he could be honest with her. Of all people, Ginny was the one he could open up to without fear of judgment. "I just need to know that something's real. " He whispered the words he'd not once said aloud in the six months since the war had ended- not to anyone, not even to himself, had he ever admitted that he truly was afraid of what was to come. That he was afraid of himself and of the people he'd loved and had let down. That nothing felt real anymore, not even her because she was gone back to school, leaving him behind with his own mind. And more than anything, he was afraid that this was all a dream; that one day he would wake up and everything he had achieved would be gone. That Voldemort was still out there, hunting down the people he cared about. Or that the war might be over but more people he loved had perished in the battles. It was hard to keep a grasp on reality with so many nightmarish thoughts that constantly plagued his mind. On and on he was talking, speaking the words he probably should have said months ago, talking until he suddenly paused, realizing he'd not stopped speaking in almost half an hour. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." She cut him off with a kiss, his face pressed between her palms.

"Don't you ever apologize to me, Harry," she murmured, tilting her head, red hair a waterfall across her shoulder. "Unless you've really pissed me off, that is." She clarified with a grin, heart skipping a beat when he let out a chuckle. "This isn't something you have to deal with on your own." She sobered, brown eyes darkening as they met his emerald ones yet again. "I know Ron has the emotional range of a tea bag but-" she paused as Harry let out another chuckle, this one a bit more true than even the last one. "He'd do anything to help you. So would Hermione. And even Mum and Dad." She let out a breath, her own heart beating faster than normal. "And so would I... You know that, don't you?" Their hands clasped together, Ginny felt the clutch of his fingers around hers, the pressure reminding him of the words he'd spoken earlier. "Am I not real enough for you?" She asked softly, her voice barely a whisper, though the words caught him entirely off guard.

Of course he did... Of course she was.

He reached for her then, pulling her into his arms without a word, drawing her so close that he could feel her heart beating against his chest. She was whispering words to him, words he couldn't quite make out as her voice was muffled against the cotton of his tshirt, but even just the sound of her vocals was all he needed. All his life, there had never been anything constant, nothing besides Ron and Hermione that was. And then he'd been brought to the Burrow that night so many years ago and suddenly, he'd been given a family. Despite all the war had taken from the Weasley's, they still looked at him with love. They still treated him as one of their own. In all his life, until them, he'd only had himself to rely upon. For too long he'd been turning this support system away, when it was all he had ever really needed. "I love you," he finally spoke aloud, saying the only words that really seemed to make sense in that moment. Words he should have said to her years ago. Pulling back from him, Ginny simply smiled and gave a little nod, as if to say she already knew that. He reached out, tracing his fingertips along the curve of her cheek, her skin soft beneath his touch. "You're the only thing that's ever been real to me." In all his life, he'd never spoken truer words to anyone and he was certain there'd never be any that followed.

When they had finally decided it was perhaps time to head to bed, they stood on the landing outside her bedroom door, hands still entwined. "Good night, Harry." She murmured into the darkness, catching the glimmer of his emerald eyes as she looked up into his face. Without a word, Harry leaned in and caught her mouth with his, hoping to pour every unspoken word between them into that kiss, hoping when he pulled away she would understand. And as she slipped away, pausing only a moment longer in the door way, her smile told him that she did. As always, she understood him and Harry had to wonder if she understood him better than even he did.

Remaining outside her bedroom door for just a moment longer, Harry could not help but to smile before he turned to return to his own room, knowing deep down that a piece of him had begun to heal. It would take time, what was it that Hermione said about grief? It had no time frame. He supposed he'd have to learn to let go and more than anything else, just give himself time. Especially now that he had a whole life ahead of him.

Someday, he decided, he'd feel normal again. And it would all be because of that beautiful girl sleeping six floors below him. Everything he had, he owed to that beautiful but stubborn, that fierce but sweet woman he'd first seen at King's Cross Station eight years ago. As Harry closed his own eyes, he smiled, knowing that someday things would fall into place for them all, he just had to be patient. And that he could be when he knew the outcome would be her. For her he could and would do anything.

For her, he would heal and then he would give her the life she'd given back to him.


	12. Chapter 12

When Harry closed his eyes at night, it finally was not nightmares that he saw. But rather, reflections of everything in his life that he'd done right... Every moment that had led him to where he was right then, tangled up in bed with the woman he loved, with two little but warm bodies pressed to his either side. And laying across his chest, flesh to flesh, was the sweetest baby to grace this planet. At least, she was quite sweet when she slept. She was but two weeks old and though two brother's had come before her, Harry was quite certain he'd forgotten that they came so small. His daughter, his precious little Lily Luna, someone so unfathomably special to him. Of course, all of his children meant the world to him, his two sons were more important to him than he could truly put to words... But to have a little girl to hold and call his own? It meant everything to him.

And even now, he could see that she would be her mother's shadow, her mother's copy. As much as James looked like him, Lily looked like Ginny; the only one of their children to have inherited the Weasley genes, Lily was every inch her mother's child with the lightest dusting of freckles across her pale cheeks. When her eyes opened they were of the deepest brown, eyes that seemed to look at you with the intensity of the sun. Only a few weeks old and she certainly had proven that as it was with her mother, size meant nothing when it came to true strength. Harry chuckled, recalling just earlier that afternoon when the shrieks the baby had let out had almost shook the house, shrieks that had sent both boys running to their room.

"What's so funny?"

Ginny's tired vocals drew him back to the moment and he turned, one hand cradling Lily, the other reaching out to ghost across the curved spine of Albus beside him. "I was just thinking that maybe we're crazy for doing this again." He gestured down at the baby asleep on his chest, a grin falling into place on his lips. "You couldn't have had yours first, eh?" It was Ginny's turn to chuckle, sitting up on an elbow, reaching out to run her fingertips through Lily's downy red hair. "Even James wasn't as tempermental as her." Their first born had certainly inherited his mother's temper, but even he had been easy compared to Lily.

"It's only fair, you've got two." Despite the darkness, he caught the glimmer of her smile, brown eyes dancing as she reached out her hand to brush a lock of hair from James' forehead. It was true, both of their son's looked more like him than they did Ginny. Though Albus favored her a bit, James was his twin down to the way his hair stuck up at the back of his head. "Mum swears she didn't sleep laying down for weeks because she could never put me down." Ginny's vocals were hushed, her words bringing another chuckle from his lips. He could then imagine his mother in law juggling a wailing Ginny all while chasing six additional boys around and suddenly his sleepless nights seemed a whole lot simpler. "I can take her," their eyes met and Harry gave his head a little shake, indicating that he was fine as he was. The soft, warm weight of his sleeping daughter on his chest, of both his boys on his either side, it was the only kind of comfort he needed these days. It was all he ever needed ever.

Truthfully, Harry hadn't thought he'd ever have a moment such as this one. He recalled back to when he had been nothing more than a frightened teen, hurtling head first into a war that had taken almost everything from him. Back then he hadn't even expected to make it past seventeen, let alone to twenty-four. Back then he hadn't thought he'd grow into a man with a family of his own, to hold children of his own born to him by the woman he loved. Back then, he had lived day to day, hanging onto any shred of hope he could grasp, praying that he and those he loved would make it to the next day. Now he lived a (mostly) peaceful life, one with Ginny and their kids, and suddenly the only thing he had to worry about was if they were safe and warm.

"I've been waiting for one like you." He admitted a moment later, his voice bringing her attention back to his face. Her eyes widened slightly, then her features softened as a smile curved on her lips. "Now our family is complete." Ginny gave a single, almost tearful nod before she leaned over Albus to press her lips to his. "I love you," he whispered, reaching up with his one free hand to cup the back of her head, bringing her forehead down to meet his. "All of you."

A few minutes later, Harry remained there in bed with his family, listening closely to the sounds of their breathing. Against his chest, Lily stirred and he glanced down at her, fully prepared for an earth shattering shriek... But it did not come. Rather, the baby shifted and her little hand caught Harry by the finger, clutching with what little strength she had. A smile tugged on his lips before he finally (and very carefully) reached over James to slip the sleeping Lily into her cradle. And then he settled back against his pillows, tucked carefully between his son's sleeping frames. Over Albus' head, he reached for Ginny, unsurprised to already feel her hand grasping for his.

It was as he had said, their family was complete. There wasn't anything more he could have asked for in this life. It was perfect, every single moment of it.


	13. Chapter 13 - Inspired by art

When he was late, she got worried.

She couldn't help it. Not after all they had been through. Not after all it had taken to get them to where they were now. But she had put the kids to bed as if nothing was wrong, that it was just another day as usual. That their father was not late from a potentially life threatening mission just to serve and protect the world in which they lived. After fighting a war for more than seven years, you'd think Harry Potter would have given up chasing down evil, but here they were more than ten years later.

Ginny supposed life could have been worse; he could have been out against Voldemort still, true evil in the shape of a man could have still walked among them... But Voldemort was gone and all that was left were those who once called him Master. And even they were mostly gone. But, she knew Harry would not rest until every last one of his followers, or any other wrong-doer, was behind bars where they deserved to be. Fighting evil was a part of him. She'd known that since the day she'd met him.

But, that didn't make it any easier some nights.

This night in particular Ginny woke from slumber with a start, as if something out there compelled her to wake. Reaching out a hand, she trailed her palm along the surface of his pillow, the cotton cool against her skin. He'd still not come home.

Suddnely, the darkness of the bedroom seemed thick and heavy, so much so that she could stand it no longer and so she pushed back the blankets and slipped from the bed. Tugging on her robe, she moved across the room and out into the hall, silently making her way down the hall. She paused only a moment to look in at James and Albus, finding both boys soundly asleep in their respective beds. She moved on then, heading down the staircase and into the living room. The room was dark but her eyes had already begun to adjust, focusing on the figure that was sitting alone on the couch. "How did you know I'd come home?" Harry's voice was tired and worn down, a voice she'd not heard in a long time. A wand tip flared and lit up the room, revealing Harry's battered face to her. His jaw was bruised, his temple bleeding; his cheek swollen, stained with old blood. For a moment, Ginny did not move, but rather blinked against the bright light of his wand and took in the sight of her broken husband. She thought once she might grow used to seeing him in such a state- but in truth, she hadn't. Though she hid it well, every time she saw him like this reminded her of the time she had almost lost him.

"I just knew," she answered simply, moving forwards to gently pry his wand from his fingertips, the light fading the moment the wand left his hands. There in the darkness, she climbed onto the couch behind him, gently wrapping his body in her arms, pulling him close to her chest. He settled into place against her without a word, his body radiating heat through her thin white robe. For a long while they sat like that together, Harry's deep, even breathing the only sound in the room. "You should let me clean you up." She finally spoke softly, her breath warm against the nape of his neck. Harry felt a chill rush down his spine as her gentle hands trailed across his bruised body.

"Don't let the kids see me like this," he murmured as they shifted, he turning towards her on the couch, his hand straying to the exposed skin of her thigh. Their eyes met in the darkness and she gave a single nod, needing no more words; she rather raised her own wand, speaking soft incantations that spread warmth and relief through his battered limbs. When she had finished, she rose up from the couch and offered him her hand- which he willingly took- and together they made their way up to their bedroom. Once she had him settled into their bed, Ginny climbed in beside him knowing they had but a few precious hours before the kids would rise and the selfish part of her wished they had days. But she clung to him as gently as she could, knowing her healing magic only went so far- but Harry slung his arm around her, drawing her close, her leg sliding into place between his as she turned to face him. He was asleep long before she was and so for a while she merely lay there, listening to him snore and thanking Merlin he'd come home to her that night.

When she untangled herself from him a few short hours later, she pressed a kiss to his temple before closing the door behind her, offering a small barrier between him and the real world. For a few more hours, he needed to rest. And so it was she who greeted the kids when they woke an hour later, embracing them one by one as they traipsed down to the kitchen, sleepy eyes and tousled hair. "Is dad home yet?" James asked as he settled into his usual place at the table, his dark eyes finding his mother's, eyes that burned with the same intensity as her own. The oldest of their children, but still only yet ten-years-old, was wise beyond his years sometimes, but then he would shove Albus and a fight would ensue, reminding Ginny that they were all nothing but kids. "He didn't come home last night..." His words elicited a gasp from the two younger Potter children, both of whom turned big, round eyes to their mother, both expecting an answer to their big brother's questions.

"Didn't I?"

The family all turned around in their chairs, only to find Harry there in the doorway of the kitchen, a lopsided grin twisting on his mouth. To her surprise, his bruises had mostly faded and the swelling on his face had gone away completely. A smile settled onto her own lips as the kids nearly upended the table in their mad rush to reach their father, Lily throwing her arms around Harry's middle, clutching at him tightly. They met eyes over their children's heads and he just gave a little shake of his head as if to say everything was fine. He scooped Lily up into his arms, the giggling girl letting out a shriek of joy as her father swung her around, both of her brothers dancing around them. Ginny had to say she much prefered this sight to the one she'd had the night before. But, being married to Harry meant there would probably be many more nights like the one before in their future.

But... Lots of moments like this one too, and for that... She was thankful.


	14. Chapter 14

She was like the blazing, autumn sun; blinding, bleeding streaks of color that brightened even his darkest of days. Everything about her was like a wildfire; raging and strong, beauty in her every movement. She often times blindsided him, with her words, her actions, her very existence. Harry knew that he loved her with his whole being, with every little piece of him did he love her. Through every fight, through every storm did he love her. There wasn't anything in this world he would trade for her and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to protect her.

Not that she needed protecting.

Even before, when evil had run rampant, Ginny Weasley had never needed his protection. She had always been strong, stronger than any one of them, and was fully capable of protecting herself. He would never forget those days, watching her as she fought back, battle after battle, fight after fight... Her long red hair flying as she moved, wand work dazzling even her enemies, surprising even the most veteran of duelists. Those warm brown eyes would be dark and narrowed, eyes that seemed as if they could see straight to your soul. Those days were gone, but sometimes she'd get that look on her face- when someone frightened her, she would nearly leap from her skin and her eyes would darken as they fell upon the source of her fear. Sometimes, when she didn't think he was watching, she would become that girl she'd used to be, a girl she'd thought she had left behind. They all had ghosts that continued to chase after them, no matter how many years passed them by.

"... Harry?"

He turned towards the voice, offering Hermione an apologetic sort of grin when she frowned at him. "You're hopeless." She sighed, shaking her head as she turned to follow his line of sight, which of course had settled back upon the redhead. She stood a distance from them, broom tucked over her shoulder as she argued with Ron over a play that she had just done. In truth, Ron had been watching Hermione, rather than pay attention to the game, and it'd cost them another fifty points. "And so is he." Hermione turned back to glance his way, frowning again, although her hazel eyes were shimmering in the sunlight. "I'm glad you two are getting a break." She went on, absently brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes as she turned back just in time to see the bunch of Weasley kids kicking back up into the air. "Ginny is too, I'm sure." Hermione side-eyed him with a grin, one that had Harry choking on the sip he'd taken from his water bottle. "She said you're not sleeping much." She said without missing a beat, recalling the worried look that had been Ginny's expression a week before when she had stayed overnight at her and Ron's place. "She's worries about you, Harry."

Though he didn't speak, Harry turned to look at Hermione, a hand reaching up to run through his messy black hair. "I know." He finally said, saying the only few words that seemed to make sense right then. In the few months that had passed since his promotion to Head of the Auror department, he'd worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of the magical world. Including her, despite her need and ability to always protect herself. Everything he did... it was all for her, after all. "She says I work too hard." His words were lighthearted, true words he had heard her speak time and time again. "That I don't have to keep trying to save the world, one time was enough." Hermione snorted and Harry chuckled, shaking his head as he watched Ginny score another goal on Ron, who cursed so loudly that their mother shouted from across the yard. They all had a laugh at his expense- twenty-three years old and still being yelled at by his mother; some things just would never change.

When the six Weasley children touched down onto the ground after their match was over, it was to cheers and laughter from the children and others that had been watching. Harry loved to watch Ginny as she sailed through the air, slower than all the others, her red hair billowing in the wind as she closed her eyes. There was something he loved about watching her in this element- so lost to the world, thrown so fully into the game, whether it was professional or in her parent's backyard. "Hey," he greeted as she hit the ground, red hair wind swept and wild, much like the eyes she turned to his. "Nice match." He grinned as she reached up in an attempt to tame her long hair, a laugh bubbling free from her rosy lips. Harry could not stop himself from slinging an arm around her slim waist, drawing her closer to him as they walked towards the others, where her mother was ushering Teddy and Victoire towards their places at the table.

"Thanks," she was breathless, her cheeks full of color as they made their way to the table her brothers had erected earlier that day. "Hey, after dinner... I've got a surprise for you." She slipped free from his grasp then, sashaying around the table to put her arms around her father's shoulders, speaking softly to him, earning a laugh from the older man. For a moment, Harry couldn't help but to stand there, still yet a little ways from the table, and do nothing but watch. He loved moments such as these, moments where the people he truly cared for gathered all around him, reminding him as always that he was the luckiest of men on the planet.

After one too many helpings of treacle tart and birthday cake (on top of the delicious dinner he'd consumed) and a wonderfully terrible rendition of _Happy Birthday_ and more gifts than he deserved _,_ Harry found himself to be happier than he'd been in a long time. Ginny had stayed downstairs, helping her mother and Hermione clean up, though she promised him she'd join him soon enough, for it was nearing midnight and soon his birthday would be over. And so he shed his jeans and tshirt, opting for a clean tshirt and his boxers for bed that night. It felt weird, staying at the Burrow and not bunking with Ron a few floors up. How many summers had he spent here at the Burrow? How many nights had he slept, listening to Ron's snores? Things had only begun to change in the last few years, once Ron and Hermione had married, and then he and Ginny the summer after. Despite being married for three years now, sometimes it still didn't quite feel real to him.

Footsteps in the hall caught his attention as he settled onto the edge of the bed, the door swinging open a few moments later. Ginny was bright-eyed and smiling as she slipped into the room, allowing the door to swing closed behind her. Stripping from her own clothing, she turned to face him in nothing but her underwear, red hair a sharp contrast to her milky white skin."I was afraid you'd be asleep," she giggled as he opened his arms to her, her weight warm and comforting as she settled into place upon his lap. "You had quite a bit to drink." She dipped her forehead against his, his lips brushing against hers as his arms came around her.

"Ron had more," Harry replied, knowing full well he _had_ had too many drinks at dinner and was already beginning to feel the clutch of sleep. "Besides, I wanted this surprise you promised. It must be good." Ginny let out another laugh, the sound like music to his ears, one of his favorite sounds to ever hear. She pulled back from him then, reaching out a hand to run through his messy hair, a look in her eyes he'd never seen before. Startled, he took her hand into his own and gave it a squeeze, brought it to his mouth and pressed the softest of kisses against her palm, relishing in the quiet little sound she made at his every touch. "So... What's this surprise you mentioned?"

To his surprise, when Ginny stood up, it was not to grab a neatly wrapped present from somewhere in the room. Rather, she brought his hand down, placing his palm lightly against the flat plane of her abdomen. For a long moment, there was nothing but confused silence, for Harry could not quite understand what it was she was telling him... But then he raised his eyes towards her face and he could see the radiant smile that was on her lips, her hand sliding into place over his still there on her stomach. And that was when he realized just what it was that she was trying to tell him. With a shout, Harry lept to his feet and took her into his arms, unable to contain the sheer joy pulsating through him. "Are you sure?" He asked a moment later, finally composing himself enough to speak, both of his hands returning to their new home upon her stomach. Her eyes were full of tears this time when she nodded, her smile returning as Harry dropped to his knees, his hands on either side of her hips as he pressed his lips against her stomach. A child of their own... Harry could not believe it. Him... A father? It seemed truly unreal. "When?" He suddenly shot back up, anxiety rushing through him, replacing the joy for just a moment.

"In February," she clarified, watching as relief spread across his features. He still yet had time to prepare himself... Somehow. "Are you happy?" She went on to ask as his arms came around her again, this time burying his face into the curve of her neck, his response just a kiss against her pulse. Weaving her hands into his messy black hair, Ginny could not help but to tip her head back as his hands trailed across her, spreading warmth through her every limb. It was only a few moments later that he'd tugged her down into bed, drawing her as close to him as he dared to do, still yet keeping one gentle hand pressed to her abdomen. "Are you... Harry?" Her voice broke through the darkness and he reached out his other hand, lightly trailing it across the curve of her cheek, smiling to himself as he wondered if their child would be as freckled as its mother. He hoped so.

"Happier than I ever could be, Gin." His honesty cracked her and he could see a single tear slip free from her lashes, streaking the very same cheek he'd just touched. He leaned forwards and pressed one last kiss to her lips, to her forehead, to any inch of her that he could. He wrapped her in his arms and held on long after she'd drifted off to sleep, both fearful and elated over the news he'd just been given. To think... A child of their own. A child born from the love they shared for one another. He could barely believe it. Six years ago he'd not even thought he'd make it past seventeen, let alone to twenty-three. Six years ago, he'd never once thought he'd get to date the girl he had loved for so long, let alone marry her. Six years ago, he'd never given himself the chance to fully love, for at any moment it could have been taken from him. But here he was, twenty-three, married, and more in love than he'd ever thought possible. Funny how the world worked sometimes.

Closing his eyes, Harry tugged her a little bit closer, breathing in her sweet, floral scent, knowing without a doubt there was no one out there luckier than him.


	15. Chapter 15 - Inspired by art

It was June 2 1998

He couldn't believe that already one full month had passed since the Battle of Hogwarts. It didn't feel real most days and honestly he found himself to be unwilling to believe just yet that everything was over. That everything was fine. Though he tried his best to hide his fears, his paranoia, he was certain most everyone around him thought he'd lost his mind. That after everything he'd been through, that after all he had seen... Harry Potter had finally gone bloody crazy. The part of him that still yet held onto sense and rationality knew his friends saw it all, but the irrational side of him still thought he might have learned how to hide his feelings. But, Harry was, without a doubt, quite the open book. Besides, try as he might, he was never going to outsmart Hermione.

On this particular day he woke from a nightmare unlike any other. It had been of his friends, of their eyes wide and unseeing from where they had lain on the ground. Voldemort loomed over them, his red eyes gleaming in the blackness as he pointed his wand at him now, the killing curse on his lips…

And then he woke, panting and sweating, tears burning on his cheeks. But then he heard Ron's snoring and at once his heart began to calm. Cursing at himself, he angrily wiped the tears from his face and rose up from bed, hastily changing into jeans and a clean tshirt. It was early and Ron would not wake for hours yet, giving him time to collect his thoughts before the questions would start. However, it was as his feet touched down on the floor that he realized the kitchen was not empty.

"Oh, Harry... Good Morning." Molly was smiling as she turned to face him from where she stood at the sink, a mug clutched between her hands. The Weasley family matriarch stared at him for several long moments, well aware that the boy had a rough night. His emerald eyes raised to meet her own and Molly felt her heart turnover; she only wished that she could ease his pain. But this was not a boy who spoke so easily, even though he wore his heart upon his sleeve. "Tea, dear?" It was all she could offer him in that moment.

Though a piece of him wanted to decline, wanted to run off and sulk, he felt compelled to nod and take to his usual chair at the table, silent as Molly poured him a steaming cup of tea. After so many years of knowing him, Molly knew how he took his tea as well as she knew her son's own preferences. Though he might not have known it, he _was_ her son, regardless of their lack of blood ties. "Thanks," Harry said, his tenor vocals dry, only deepening her worry of him. She watched as he drank a long sip from the mug, pulling a face when he scalded his tongue on the hot liquid. "You're awake awful early," Harry observed, realizing only then that even Mrs. Weasley was awake long before her usual time. Much like him, she'd been unable to sleep the night before... And when she had, it had been full of dreams she didn't want to see.

"I thought I might start breakfast early," Molly spoke before she could stop herself, offering Harry a smile. "Teddy is coming with his grandmother this morning." At once Harry's stomach turned, the thought of seeing the teething little baby enough to make his skin crawl. It wasn't that he disliked the infant, in fact it was quite the opposite. He loved Teddy more than he could quite put to words, but he felt... Guilty. Teddy would never know his parents because they had died fighting in the war for him. It was because of him that Teddy would grow up an orphan. He could never forgive himself for such a thing. And because of such things, he didn't feel as if he deserved to be around little Teddy. Besides, would the child want to even be close to him someday when he realized the truth? Harry could not stand the thought of growing close to the boy only to have him turn away when he found out just why his parents had died. "Andromeda says he turned his hair purple this week." Molly's voice brought him back and Harry could not help but to smile, a chuckle following as he thought of the bouncing baby with purple hair, a strange sight indeed. Everyone had wondered if Tonk's son would be a Metamorphmagus or would his father's lycan blood run through his veins? But it had became quite apparent from the day he was born that he would not be tainted with the werewolf blood his father had been so worried about.

"That's strange..." Molly suddenly broke from their conversation, a realization dawning on her features as she turned to look at the side door. "Ginny hasn't come back yet." At once, Harry's brain clicked into overdrive, her face swimming before his mind. _Where had she gone?_ It was then that Molly made to push her chair back, clearly prepared to head out to look for her daughter, mumbling about Ginny's usual morning walk. But Harry was on his feet first, draining the last sips of tea from his mug before he turned emerald eyes upon the older woman, as if to silently tell her what he couldn't with words. Molly gave a single nod and sank back into her chair, watching as Harry left the kitchen with a look on his face that he only wore when he thought about her daughter. Molly could not help but to chuckle, drawing her wand and tapping the kitchen table which began to clear itself of their mugs, deciding she'd allow herself a few more minutes of time alone before she might begin to tackle that day's responsibilities. Today, she just needed those few extra minutes.

Outside, Harry stood in the yard, eyes scanning the Weasley land in hopes of spotting Ginny's red hair, such a sight the only thing that could raise his spirits these days. Surprised that he couldn't see her, he decided to follow along the path she usually would have taken (sometimes he joined her, other times he'd watch her from the window of Ron's room) but he still could not find her. A deep set worry was settling in, the cold sense of dread clutching at his heart. Where could she have gone? It wasn't like her to run off, especially if she knew Teddy was coming.

Watching Ginny with Teddy had changed him, in truth. Seeing the way she so carefully cradled the baby, the way she sang softly to him when she thought nobody was listening... It made Harry realize that he wanted to see that in his own future. He knew they were young, that really there was all the time in the world now... But he knew he wanted a family with her. He wanted to watch her hold and love a child of their own creation, a child with red hair and freckles or dark hair and almond shaped eyes. It felt strange to think about a future, when only a month ago he'd been struck by the Killing Curse for the second time in his life. So much had changed in the last month, sometimes it was hard to come to terms with what his life had become.

Across the way, the run down shed that housed most of Arthur Weasley's Muggle items caught his eye and something compelled him to walk towards it. When he opened the door, he blinked, eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness of the building, sunlight streaming in behind him illuminating tables full of broken Muggle clocks and probably hundreds of different batteries. And then his eyes fell upon her; she sat on the floor in the furthermost corner of the shed, her knees drawn up to her chest, face buried in them. For a single moment, Harry could do nothing but stare at her, so small and sad there on the floor, the sound of her quiet sobs breaking his heart into thousands of pieces. Again, here was someone suffering because of him. And it was the one person he loved most in this whole world.

For another moment, he contemplated leaving; Ginny had not heard him come in and suddenly he felt as if he did not deserve to be near her. How could she look at him in this moment? She was crying for the loss of her brother of course and Fred was gone because of him. Fred had died that day a month ago, lost during the Battle of Hogwarts. No, he decided, he did not deserve to comfort Ginny when he was the cause of her pain. But as he turned to go, his hip caught on the corner of a table and one of the broken clocks took a tumble to the ground, alerting her to his arrival. Ginny's gasp caught his ears and he turned back then, their eyes meeting from across the way. And looking into those eyes of hers, suddenly Harry knew that he was wrong... About everything. For the last month, he'd put his own pain first- putting up barriers between him and everyone left that he loved. Guilt pushed him into a world of his own, assuming that those who hurt would not want to be near him. But as Ginny's face crumpled, he knew that there was only one spot he should have been right then: beside her.

And so he moved towards her, dropping down onto the ground at her side, immediately drawing her into his embrace. His arm slid around her, fingers threading through her tousled red hair, the other sliding into place over her knees, offering her the only thing he could in that moment. She turned into him, her own hand clutching for his, her breath catching as her sobs came a little faster. Harry held onto her as she cried, knowing in that moment that Ginny needed him more than he had ever thought. How many times had she cried like this, but on her own? How many times, because he was too worried they were all secretly angry with him, had she cried alone, hiding away because _she_ was always trying to be strong for the rest of them? Who else had spent hours, alone and crying, needing comfort, but his own emotional barriers had prevented him from being there? No more, Harry silently vowed as he pulled her closer, never again would she shoulder her grief alone. None of them would. "Fred?" His voice was warm against her neck as his lips brushed her skin, sending chills down her spine. Unable to speak through her tears, Ginny gave him a simple little nod, breaking his heart all over again. Leaning his head close to hers, Harry squeezed her hand and finally spoke words he'd been holding onto for a month now. "I miss him, too..." He missed them all, in truth. Fred, Remus, Tonks... His parents... Sirius... Dumbledore... He missed them all.

For a little while longer they sat there together, Ginny's head against his shoulder, her sobs gone but all strength stolen from her body. He would have sat there for a thousand years, if it brought her even just an ounce of comfort. But it was Ginny who moved first, sitting up so she could turn to look at him, brown eyes swollen but gleaming in the sunlight that streamed in from the windows. "Teddy's coming today," she said simply, as if this alone was what motivated her to get back on her feet. Harry nodded, following after her as she rose to her full height, running a hand through her long red locks. "Hey Harry..." She looked up at him and Harry reached out a hand, brushing away a tear that still yet clung to her lashes, eyes softening as they met his. "Thanks." Her smile was almost embarrassed, for this was not the type of girl to cry in front of anyone if she could help it. Harry shook his head, opening his mouth to say it was nothing, but she was moving closer to him, rising up to press her mouth to his, stopping the words before they could come. When she broke the kiss a few moments later, she was smiling again and Harry reached out to take her by the hand. Together they stepped back out into the morning sunshine, where they would return to the house and he would join his family for breakfast. _His_ _family_. The only thing he had ever wanted growing up was a real family and the Weasley's had more or less adopted him several years ago, had they not? They were the closest thing he'd ever had to a family and Harry could not believe he'd allowed himself to be so blind these last few weeks.

It was a month since the war had ended and while not everything yet made sense to him... This one single thing did. Squeezing Ginny's hand a little tighter, he felt his heart skip a beat when she squeezed back, reminding him that above everything else... He still had people to love. And he still had people that loved him back. He had to be there for them and needed to allow them to be there for him. And this beautiful girl beside him, with her hand in his, was the most important person in his life... He would never allow her or anyone else to suffer alone again.


	16. Chapter 16 - Half Blood Prince moment

_Happy Christmas Harry..._

She was so close to him that he could feel her lips just barely brushing across his. "Happy Christmas, Gin..." He murmured, fully prepared to capture her mouth with his, heart pounding so hard within his chest he thought it might burst. But then, from somewhere outside, they both heard a _bang_ and felt the house shake with the force of it. Ginny gasped and stumbled, Harry catching her elbow to steady her before he took off down the stairs, leaving her there to call after him.

He raced for the front door as Bellatrix Lestrange's voice echoed through the yard and house; _I killed Sirius Black, I killed Sirius Black!_ Her maniacal laughter pierced him straight through the heart and Harry felt anger surge through him, white hot and uncontrollable. He pushed past those who stood in the door, ignoring Remus' who shouted for him and took off after Lestrange, who had begun to run into the field behind the Burrow. All he could think of was making her suffer, of causing her the pain she had caused him all year long. This woman was the one who had taken Sirius from him and she deserved any pain she could get. If only he could just catch up to her.

Ginny could not say what possessed her to chase after him except that she felt like he needed her. It mattered not that she was underage, it mattered not that she was inexperienced when it came to dueling, hell it didn't even matter that she was wearing pajamas and a bathrobe... Harry needed her and so she would go. She followed his path down the stairs, Ron calling after her as she raced through the front door, ignoring her mother's scream for her. Into the field she went, hot on Harry's heels, kicking her slippers off as she ran. Wand aloft, she began to slow, panting, realizing only then that she had lost Harry in the tall grass. How far had they run? Somewhere in the distance, she could still yet hear Bellatrix Lestrange's cackling, her screams fading in and out of the dark. A branch snapped underfoot and she gasped, turning sharply, brown eyes scanning the area before her. "Harry...?" She tentatively called out, heart pounding as fear coursed through her veins. "Harry, are you there?" She heard another branch snap, heard the distant shouts of her father and Remus as they raced towards where she stood.

But then she saw him.

It was not Harry at all, but a tall, broad man with long greasy hair he had pulled back away from his face. When he smiled at her, it was a cruel, savage smile, with yellow teeth so sharp they surely could cut through her skin. "Pretty girl... All alone..." His chuckle sent chills down her spine, his every step bringing him closer to her. And then, he raised his wand, faster than she could hers, and suddenly her fear became so much more real. "I like pretty girls when they're all alone with no one to save them." His grin expanded, his wand pointed directly at her chest, a spell on his lips when...

"Ginny!"

Harry appeared as if out of no where, blocking the spell Greyback threw at her before he pushed her back, a protective arm extended before her. "Are you alright?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder at her, taking note of how her eyes shined in the moonlight. Something different than fear crossed her features then and she nodded, her wand held a little steadier as Bellatrix appeared, her shrill laugh echoing through the field. There was no time for her to respond before the curses were flung; one after another they blocked them, shooting out ones of their own in the meantime, inching closer together as the two Death Eaters cornered them.

And then Remus, Tonks, and her father appeared, making the fight a lot less fair than it had been a moment before. A few curses were flung, a few more blocked, but a pause came in the battle and Harry found himself to be reaching for Ginny, enclosing her wrist with his hand. Both Bellatrix and Greyback exchanged a glance before they shot towards the sky, black shadows billowing in their wake. Then, without warning, they shot through the Burrow, the explosion deafening. "Molly..." Her father whispered, pushing past them all to race back towards the home, where he found the rest of his family had already spilled out onto the lawn, safe from harm.

Harry and Ginny followed after, Remus and Tonks behind them, coming to stand in the yard to watch as their family home went up in flames. She held fast to his hand, perhaps even unaware how tightly she clung to it as she watched the home she'd grown up in burn to the ground. Together, with her family around them, they watched until Arthur and Remus finally stepped forward, to begin the process of dousing the flames. Fred and George joined them next and within a few minutes, all that was left was a smoldering wreckage of what had once been the Burrow. Harry felt his heart clench in guilt, felt his stomach turn icy cold with the dread he felt inside. And it was as if Ginny felt this inside of him for she squeezed his hand then, turning towards him and offering him the smallest of smiles. "We're alive, at least," she murmured softly, to which Harry could not help but to smile too.

She was right, after all.


End file.
